In-Between
by Kiba Sniper
Summary: Ecolo is traveling through dimensions when they come across a woman claiming to be the real Arle. With their curiosity piqued, they decide to stick around and listen to her lonesome story to prove her assertion.
1. In-Between Dimensions

In-Between

Floating through dimensions was like drifting along on a breeze. Each new world was like a cloud they would float through and immerse themself in its fluffy warmth before it fluttered on, leaving them searching for new amusement in another world.

Seeking enjoyment and spreading it was their greatest pleasure. Leaping into dimensions and observing all sorts of amusing rituals, homes, or people only extended their drooling lips into a deep smile. They really did love all creatures and their idiosyncrasies, each moving to the beat of their own drum as Ecolo observed. Whether it was Ringo's eccentricities or a friendly Puyo battle starting over something utterly foolish, Ecolo thrust themself into the midst of it all to watch, play, or at times, cause a well-needed dose of world-ending mischief.

Although, memories of themself would certainly be forgotten. Ecolo was not like Yu and Rei, ghosts who were able to exist in the living realm and be acknowledged by others. Instead, they were meant to fade from a person's mind when enough time passed. Space-time travelers never stuck around for long in one world out of eventual boredom, leaving themselves vulnerable to being forgotten. As time moved forward while they searched untraveled realms, the risk only increased.

It was a downtrodden thought that always stuck in the back of their mind, but they ignored it. Ringo and the others would certainly never forget about them. They had already caused too much trouble such as when they possessed Arle and almost drowned Ringo's world in Puyos. With Satan's help, they created a portal to allow people to visit the Keeper of Dimensions. They protected Ally's world from Rafisol with the help of so many others. They were acknowledged and remembered by a couple dozens of people in the mixed worlds.

Still, they were never entirely sure. Risking being forgotten by venturing out to new dimensions could cause them to forget them. With enough time, Ecolo wondered if they would all move on from them with new memories and friendships. If even Ringo would look at them with confusion etched on her face when they would eventually return to her world had turned their thoughts sour.

 _Who are you?_

It was the worst question anyone could ask. The uncertain look in their eyes, the crease in their brow, the way their body language outright rejected them with crossed arms or raised fists used to stupefy Ecolo. In the beginning, Ecolo tried to reason with them explaining their memories, but they were always forgotten. Pretending and teasing became Ecolo's way of overcoming that trepidation to continue playing with those who forgot them. It was like a one-sided game of chess where they commandeered all of the pieces while their opponent sheepishly and idly moved one piece at a time.

"Who are you?"

The question seemed to come out of thin air. Ecolo straightened, their head flipping up in sudden acknowledgement of the question. They gazed around the rather dull white plane, realizing that in their idle travels they had stumbled into a cross-dimensional void. It was a plane in which no one except them should have been able to exist unless a fellow space-time traveler called out. Ecolo scratched their head, searching for the voice until their gaze dropped towards the floor.

Ecolo uttered a mollified hum. Scratching their head, Ecolo floated towards the person glaring up to them with a bright grin. They hovered around her, observing their red-hued armor and clenched fists. The young woman's glower would have made any other person freeze, but Ecolo was used to malice and continued grinning. Crossing their legs, Ecolo laughed and waved much to the woman's perplexment as she stepped backwards.

"Arle! I didn't expect you to be here! I didn't know you mastered enough magic to send you through dimensions," Ecolo jeered, noticing the young woman's eyes widening. "Though, maybe your magic sent you way off the map and made your mind a little weird! I mean, how could you forget about me so quickly? After all we've been through, I'm forgotten all lickety-split!"

As Ecolo pretended to cry, she asked, "You called me Arle?"

Ecolo chuckled, ending their crocodile tears. "'Course I did! That's your name, isn't it? Unless you changed it. If you did, what's it now?"

Arle squinted, gripping her elbows so tightly that Ecolo heard her knuckles faintly crack from the pressure. She pursed her lips and straightened her back, unsure of what to make of the creature before her. Ecolo continued levitating around her, sliding from side to side to truly take in her appearance.

"I like the updated outfit! Red is really your color. It kind of reminds me of Ringo!" Ecolo exclaimed, flying behind Arle and gripping her cape.

Arle side-stepped and nudged Ecolo in their cheek, shoving them away. Ecolo grimaced, immediately frowning and holding their face. Arle checked her cape, finding a few blueish spittle marks dripping off it and scowled.

"Okay, okay, sorry for getting your little cape dirty, but there's no need to hit me!" Ecolo shot their tongue out, blowing out a few globs of drool.

"Answer me. Who are you, and how did you get here?" Arle demanded, raising her right hand and flexing her fingers.

"It's me! Your old buddy, Ecolo! Come on, Arle, we already made so many memories together," Ecolo said, shaking their head, "like that time I possessed you and almost drowned Ringo's world in Puyos! It was a swell time! Loads of fun and tricks and capers!"

Searching her face for any recognition, Ecolo sighed when they found none. The woman claiming to be Arle only looked at them with dinner plate eyes. They uttered a groan, levitating on their back and wrapping their stubby hands behind their head.

"Aw, I guess you really don't remember me. That's a darn shame," Ecolo mumbled, "since if you can't remember, I guess Ringo and the others don't either and-"

"I've never met you. You've only know that fake Arle."

Ecolo clamped their lips shut, and their words died on their tongue. They raised their head, flipping forward and staring at Arle in sudden interest. Tilting their head, they sneered, "Really now? Are you saying you're some kind of doppelganger of the Arle I know or is the Arle I know the doppelganger?"

Arle dug her fingernails into her left palm, slowly retracting her other raised hand. A curt nod was all Ecolo needed. They observed the deep flash of anger that burned brightly in her eyes as if remembering something particularly painful. How her lips pursed together and the way the corners of her eyes crinkled showed them all the disdain they needed to see.

"You know, I have a lot of time to spare," Ecolo said, regaining her interest. They suddenly dropped to the floor, sitting with their legs out and leaning forward like an excited kid waiting for a story. "I'm a space-time traveler, so I don't get to see many people in these areas in-between dimensions. I wonder what you've got to say, Arle."

They patted the floor, giggling and welcoming her. Arle could only balk at the sight of the strange creature. She had known many mysterious, murderous monsters in her heyday, but Ecolo's cheerfulness and strange composure jarred her. Every atom about them screamed eerie while their coaxing grin put on her edge. She was tempted to fire them away when Ecolo suddenly rolled on their side, lifted their leg, and patted the ground in front of them with their foot.

"I don't bite just so you know. I mean, you don't know if I have teeth or not," they said, and Arle's brow furrowed.

She pinched the bridge of her nose. It was not like she had anything else to do besides wasting away in an eternal white space while detesting her other half. Arle sat in front of Ecolo, keeping her hands visible in order to cast any quick spell. Arle watched Ecolo sit upright and bring their knees to their chest.

"Let me ask you some things first," Arle said.

"Sure! Fire away!" Ecolo gasped. "Oh, but before you do, I have to give you a nickname. I do it for all my friends."

"A nickname, huh?" Arle murmured, lifting her head.

Ecolo hummed, tapping their temple and then announced, "Okay! You'll be Stingy Armor because you're not very personable, and you're wearing cool armor."

The temptation to blast Ecolo away crossed her mind, but their company gave her more entertainment than the last hundred years of her life ever did. Arle rolled her eyes, acquiescing to the nickname with a dry smirk.

"Okay, Then, you'll be..." She glanced at Ecolo's face. "...Saliva Mouth. Where did you come from?"

"I'm from all over. I don't have a particular home. I told you that I'm a space-time voyager, which means I can really 'voyage' through 'space-time.' It's a pretty tell-all title."

"So, you can just jump to any world you want?" Arle asked, leaning forward, and Ecolo nodded.

"That's right! I'm glad you're fast on the update. I had to explain that to Jumpy Sideburns at least five times," Ecolo said, shrugging.

Arle lowered her head, closing her eyes in apparent deep thought only for Ecolo to lightly tap her knee. Catching their displeased stare, she asked, "Uh, what's your name again?"

"Ecolo!" they said, flashing another goopy grin. "So, I answered your questions. Let's get to the good part. Tell me what's up with you. I mean, it's not totally rare for doppelgangers to exist. I mean, alternate realities-"

"I'm not the doppelganger," Arle hissed, silencing Ecolo. She glared at the ground, imagining what she used to belong to her when Ecolo cleared their throat.

"I think I get what's going on," they said, looking at the sky of the endless void, "but I wanna hear it from you. I don't have a full picture of it yet, but there's definitely a reason why I was able to meet you here, right? Normal humans don't just gain the power to jump through dimensions, but this is a place in-between worlds, you know? How are you here?"

Her grim smile sparked a small pang in Ecolo's chest. Arle followed Ecolo's gaze to the ceiling of her personal cage. The colorless, endless white space stretched infinitely as far as her eyes could see. Arle remembered trekking for miles until her feet started to bleed and clawing at the ground until she cracked her fingernails, but even then, she refused to stop until the futility of it all sank in when she was torn in two.

"It's a-" Arle took a breath. "-confusing story. Just stop me if you're unsure about anything, okay?"

"Sure! I love stories," Ecolo said, bobbing their head, and Arle took a deep breath, beginning her long, arduous tale.

They listened without interrupting. Usually, they would have gladly interjected their own opinion, but the heaviness of Arle's words silenced them. Ecolo watched her expression writhe as she explained the destruction of her world at the hands of the "Creator" and how Satan only succeeded in retrieving half of her soul. Ecolo never would have imagined the Arle they knew was only a fraction of a person, but they wondered if their Arle suspected anything was wrong in the first place.

They were drawn into her story, imagining the hundred-year war and the terrible loss Arle suffered. Losing everyone she had known in a dramatically despairing battle, being forgotten to waste away in-between dimensions without any hope of being remembered by the people she once knew was a torture worse than death. She continued enduring an ageless existence in solemn silence, and they wondered how she had not lost her mind.

Ecolo wondered if her condition was even worse than their own. Ecolo would be forgotten if they strayed away for too long, but Arle had absolutely no chance of being reunited with the people she remembered. Her friends' memories of the old world were completely gone, gathered in Satan's fist and crushed like sand drifting through his fingers and vanishing into the ocean. Ecolo had the opportunity to create new memories with those who had forgotten them. Banished to nothingness, Arle never had that chance. She remembered while the new world engulfed itself in Satan's twisted truth.

Yet, it was how she spoke and gestured that told an even sadder story. The way her eyes burned with fury as she recalled the war and Satan's mistake glowered for vengeance. How she coated each word about trying to escape the void with malice dripping off her tongue sent shivers down their spine. The apparent wetness in her eyes and the solemn smile spreading into her cheeks as she recalled a sillier time at magic school with Rulue or calling Schezo a pervert for his poor vernacular longed for the past.

Ageless, without any means of returning to what she once knew, trapped with memories no one else could remember, Arle suffered beyond anything Ecolo had ever seen or endured during their travels. She was malicious, vengeful, and the sorriest person they knew.

"...and that's everything I've got to say about that," Arle said. She dipped her head and swallowed. Rubbing her throat, she lightly coughed. "Sorry. My throat's a little dry. It's been way too long since I've spoken for more than a few minutes."

"If I had any water, I'd give it to you," Ecolo said, managing a hesitant grin. They watched her arch her back and use her thumb to wipe her eyes. "I didn't expect Satan to have that much power. I mean, I knew the guy could travel through dimensions like me, but creating an entirely new universe and story to boot? Wow! What a freak! No guy should have that much power even if they are like a deity! That's just unfair to the rest of us!"

Arle's gaze snapped to them, and she gawked. "Wait! You know Satan?"

"Know him? That skeevy jerk and I opened the doors to some dimensions together! Twice! Once so everybody could visit the Keeper of Dimensions and the second time to leave Ally's world," Ecolo replied, shaking their head. "I knew he was powerful, but keeping you here while the Arle I know gets to play with Ringo and the others? That's not fair at all.

"But you know Satan? Well, you know my other half, so I guess that's to be expected," Arle said, and she set her knuckles to her chin.

Ecolo leaped to their feet, levitating in front of her. "Now, now, let's not look so down! I hate seeing my friends look upset."

"I just met you. We're not friends," Arle deadpanned, and Ecolo tutted.

"Aw, come on! I learned friends give each other presents even if Hime Cut didn't want anything from me that one time," Ecolo said, and Arle stood up, folding her arms and cocking her hip out. Sensing her growing irritation, Ecolo added, "So, why don't I take you outta this place as a gift? Us dimensional wanderers gotta stick together!"

Arle's mouth dropped open an inch, and Ecolo shot their hand out in front of her nose. Arle flicked her wide-eyed gaze between Ecolo's round palm to the various glowing balls of goop surrounding them. As they reached for her hand, Arle snatched their wrist, forcing them forward.

"Don't think you can win me over so easily. You haven't earned my trust at all, you-!"

Ecolo laughed, cutting her off. "Not to worry! All you needed to do was grab on anyway!"

Arle paled and squeaked, "What?"

Ecolo spun Arle around and pivoted around her. They continued laughing, shooting their hand out and as if out of thin air, a door appeared. The entrance appeared wooden in structure but had golden arches supporting it. Arle blinked, baffled by the door and recalled her own struggles of trying to enter Satan's reality for so long that the sudden appearance of the door made her cough with laughter.

"A-are you serious? You can just make a dimensional door appear? Do you even know how long I tried doing that?" Arle cried, and Ecolo chuckled.

"Sure! I told you, Arle, that I'm a space-time traveler! I can go anywhere I want through all dimensions. Not even Satan can reign me in if he doesn't know where I am," Ecolo remarked, tapping their temple. Floating forward, they pulled Arle behind them and grasped the silver doorknob. Thrusting the door open, they shouted, "Hold on tight! We're going to Suzuran City!"

"Wait, where is-?"

Arle had no time to react, and another rush of irritation flared through her from being interrupted once again. Ecolo leaped through the vibrantly spinning portal with her in tow. Her scream died in her throat as her senses were rocked with a splash of blue, swirling hues. Stars and comets streaked by in her blinding white, pink, and yellow lights. Galaxies swam overhead and curled around them as Ecolo weaved through the portal, his laughter mixing and echoing in the stars.

Arle was almost blinded by the sudden flash of white light. She grunted, covering her eyes only for her feet to touch something wet. She gasped, feeling Ecolo release her and stared at the ground.

Wet mud coated her boots. She blinked and then uttered a sharp hiss as she inspected the soil on slipping off her footwear, but then she felt another sensation. Liquid drizzled down her cheeks. When she looked up, her vision was obscured with gray clouds sprinkling down cool rain. Arle closed her eyes, her body chilling from a gentle gust and inhaled the rich scent of the world.

"Ah, it's Suzuran City! It's been too long," Ecolo exclaimed, gripping their hips. "So, Stingy Armor, what do you think about the shopping district?"

Arle followed Ecolo's gaze, and she straightened, her pique swiftly enticed. Before her were several buildings with all manners of banners and sign posts. Food markets, quant clothing stores, and shops for toys, books, and trinkets were lined up as far as her eyes could see. Even with the drizzle, people were bustling around with bags filled with goods. Arle listened to their buzzing voices, feeling almost drained from the sudden clamoring of other people.

Ecolo snickered, hovering next to her and stepped on the sidewalk. "Well, how does it feel? Being around new people who are totally different from you must be a shock, right?"

"This place is...definitely strange," Arle said, dipping her chin to her chest and furrowing her brow. "It's nothing like the world I tried to save."

"Oh, what? Come on, Arle! It's modern! Not everything is run on magic these days," Ecolo said, shrugging off her concerns. "Besides, I have some friends here who would love to meet you like Ringo and even Pretty Boy! They'll be like 'Bwaaah! Another Arle! Amazing if super weird!' Ringo will probably even make a song up for you on the spot!"

She watched them with a dulled look as they tried to mimic one of Ringo's songs in an uneven pitch. A heavy sigh slipped from her lips, but Suzuran City was better than another century of suffering in-between dimensions. Gazing at the people weaving through the shopping district, Arle took in a deep breath and lightly nodded.

"Well, it's better than nothing," she said, offering a wary smirk.

"Perfect-o! Let's get moving to Ringo's place! You'll love her apples!"

Arle walked after Ecolo as they floated towards the shopping district. Passing through, she was reminded of the quant curry shops from her old world when she glanced at bakeries and restaurants. She peered at the casually dressed people, listening to their laughter and gossip about neighbors and classmates. The sounds were music to her ears after an eternity of silence, and Arle sighed, faintly agitated. Arle even found herself returning a few polite grins from strangers.

It was not her world, but it was better than nothingness. It was eons better than being stranded with her morbid memories even if uncertainty crept along her back like an eerie spider climbing up a brick wall.

"Ando Family Fresh Produce!" Ecolo announced, dragging Arle out of her thoughts, and they stood in front of the announced produce shop. They snatched an apple off the wooden stand and offered it to Arle. "Try it! Best in this world!"

"Pretty sure I have to pay for this," Arle said, accepting it anyway and taking a bite. The crisp apple left her taste buds on fire with tanginess, a sensation she had not known in so long, and she withheld a delighted cry. She gnawed on the apple, taking in large bites and felt her stomach pang like someone suddenly slapped her midsection. She had even forgotten hunger in her endless dimension.

"Don't worry! Ringo will understand. She's a smart girl," Ecolo said, and they waved. "Anyway, I'm leaving."

Arle sputtered, pieces of apple spitting out from her lips. "H-hold on! You can't-!"

"Hey, hey, I brought you here," Ecolo said, floating above her, "because I think we can be friends, but I also wanna go back to exploring. I already heard your story once, so I don't wanna stick around again for it. That'd be kind of boring, and I have other places to be. After all, space-time voyagers are fickle."

"You can't just fly off when I don't even have shelter or food!" Arle snarled, her nose wrinkling, and she went to fire off a spell when an odd voice hit her.

"Oh, hey, Arle! I love your new clothes!"

Arle's eyes shot over to the produce shop's entrance and found a teenage girl beaming at her. She held a mathematics textbook and gasped, quickly setting it over Arle's head to block the light rain.

"Hey, you could get sick, you know? Your legs are exposed to the cold," Ringo said, waving her finger like a scolding mother. Spotting the apple, she groaned. "Arle, if you wanted some food, you could've just come inside. My dad's been having a problem with some pickpockets lately, so please don't take apples off the stand and make it look like you didn't pay."

"Well, no one was out here, so I-" Arle shook her head. "-nevermind. Hi, um, you're Ringo, right?"

Ringo's eyebrows raised. "Yeah, that's me. Are you feeling okay? Did the magic that sent you here make your memories kind of messed up?"

Arle glanced over her shoulder, scowling when she could not find Ecolo. She looked around for another moment only to sigh. It seemed Ecolo had scurried away when Ringo arrived.

"It's a long story," Arle said, shrugging with a tired smile, and she followed the befuddled Ringo inside the shop.

As Arle entered the store, Ecolo snickered from their position on the building's roof. They knew things were going to get a little bit messy with the new Arle's presence. Learning what Satan had done intrigued them. For the devious prince to really have such godly powers made Ecolo set their sight a bit higher than before.

 _Two immortal Arles in one place, huh? I'll come play around after I do some snooping. Maybe I'll even find that destroyed dimension and play around there myself,_ Ecolo thought, snickering to themself as a portal appeared before them. _Play nice with her, Ringo. I think she's gonna cause a big stirrup when things really go kooky, and boy, that'll be fun to see!_


	2. In-Between Mortality

Ringo kept her eyes to her meal, her chopsticks poking at her katsu curry. She rolled one piece of the breaded chicken into the curry, tapping it against a carrot and slowly brought the chicken to her lips. She let herself savor the chewy, tender taste, pressing her lips together as her tongue rolled with spices.

Opposite her was Maguro, who appeared to have seen better days. He continued taking ginger sips of water. Ringo assumed his eyes were flicking around to all the members of their impromptu dinner party. He had hardly touched his food.

Next to her was Risukuma. With his large paw, he had trouble holding his chopsticks and opted for a fork. He poured himself a second glass of water from the pitcher, grumbling under his breath as an ice block clinked against his glass' rim. He quickly set it back into his drink and wiped his paw on his lab coat.

That left their strange guest sitting by Maguro. Ringo watched as Arle, or rather another Arle, used a spoon to bring some of the curry to her lips. Arle blew on it, steam wafting around her face, before plopping the delicacy into her mouth. Her eyes closed, and her moan bounced against her spoon.

"I have to say," Arle began, earning the rapt attention of the three students, "I haven't made curry in what feels like eons, but even with this new modern technology, I still got it."

"Y-yeah! Who knew a million-year-old deity could make great food ✮?" Maguro replied, chuckling, and Arle frowned.

"I'm not that old. Calling me that is like equating me to an old crone," she said, and Maguro winced, quickly shoveling rice into his mouth.

Ringo still could not believe who was sitting before her as the wry smile returned to Arle's face. She already had Risukuma and Maguro over for a school project, but when Arle arrived, it seemed like something out of a fantasy novel when Arle sat them down and revealed the truth about herself.

Then again, she supposed her life was already full of oddities. An immortal goddess-esque being currently eating at her dining table almost felt like another strange day in the life of Ringo Ando and her friends. Stopping a dimension traveler from destroying her world with Puyos had been the start of the endless, amusing chaos in her life, but it was nothing compared to the tale Arle had told them. Even defending her universe from the Keeper of Dimensions was a mere slap on the wrist compared to the harrowing horrors of the Creator and Arle's destroyed universe.

When Arle explained everything, Ringo could not help but feel like her heart was sinking into her stomach. She could not imagine losing everything. All of her life had been a breeze full of joy and struggles, all of which seemed to fix themselves at the end of the day. Puyo battles solved everything, and her friends were there for her.

This Arle had nothing and no one to thank her for her efforts. Everything had been stripped from her. Power, companionship, and even the memories others shared of her had been stolen when Satan made his greatest error and his brand new world.

Ringo bit her lip. A question bubbled up in her throat, but Risukuma cleared his throat.

"May I ask you something, Arle?" Risukuma began, and Arle looked at him, spoon in her mouth.

"Of course. Answering your questions is something you all deserve. You all must be confused even if I've explained myself..." Arle glanced at Maguro, sighing. "...quite a few times."

"H-hey, come on, there were so many little details in there like the Arle we know being half of you and all of the people from Arle's world being ageless clones and-ow ✮!" Maguro winced as Ringo's foot connected with his shin.

"Maguro, she already said all that pretty clearly," Ringo said, displeased, but Arle shook her head.

"It's fine. I don't mind explaining myself," she replied, and she directed her attention to Risukuma. "You were saying?"

Risukuma leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table. He set his chin on top of his paws, asking, "If this isn't appropriate, let me know, but you said the Dark Prince-" Risukuma shook his head, "Pardon me, but you said Satan only succeeded in taking half of your soul. That way, he made the Arle we know, but does this mean you are only half a soul now as well? Is the Arle we know still only made of half a soul?"

Arle hummed. "Good question. The answer is no. The Arle you know has a full soul."

"She does?" Ringo asked, her eyebrows shooting to her hairline. "But she's made of, well, half of you!"

"She is, but when Satan formed his world, he made Arle full with that part of me." Arle plopped a piece of chicken into her mouth, a large grin spreading into her cheeks as she chewed. Swallowing, she added, "What I mean is that even though we are each other's halves, she was given a full soul."

"Um, what about you ✮?" Maguro asked.

She shrugged. "Well, when you're left with half a soul, you make do with what you have and deem yourself whole in an endless void of the universe you tried to protect. When Satan found him that one day and allowed me entrance into his grand world as a so-called doppelganger, he made my soul full even though to me, it clearly isn't."

Ringo saw beads of sweat roll down Maguro's cheeks and felt her own heart constrict as if her rib cage was squeezing it. She took in a few calming breaths through her nose, inhaling the rich spices of the curry. Setting her hand on her knee, she cleared her throat.

Ringo's eyes narrowed. "Hey, Arle, if I asked the Arle I know about any of this, what would she say?"

Arle smirked. "Well, Satan made sure no one would remember any little thing from the old world. Not Draco or Harpy or Rulue or anyone from that world will think twice about what they've come to know as true." She shook her head. "I'm not even sure if Carbuncle will remember the adventures we shared."

"And if we question Satan? What would he say about everything you've told us?" Ringo asked.

Her grin faded by a few molars, and she shifted her gaze back to her curry. "Well, if you like breathing, I'd suggest you keep what I told you to yourself."

"But, uh, no offense," Maguro began, and terror seized Ringo's throat as Arle leered at him, "but the Dark Prince we know is a pretty cool guy and-"

"You've really been fooled, haven't you?" Arle spat, lifting her nose, and Maguro paled, blood fading from his cheeks. She noticed Ringo furrow her brow, and she huffed, sluggishly raising her shoulders and dropping them. "Satan isn't a nice guy. He can appear like the biggest idiot in the world, but he can become monstrous in a heartbeat. I've almost killed the guy on a few occasions." She cupped her cheek, idly twirling her spoon in her curry and rice. "With what happened to me, I wish I did. Making a stupid circus and brainwashing him, huh? I should've killed him right then and there."

"Can I ask you something else?" Risukuma asked before Ringo could interject, and Ringo felt a twinge of gratitude for him, quelling her own tongue to restrict her forthcoming refutation.

Arle nodded, shoving another spoonful of curry into her mouth. Her eyes rolled, and she giggled like a small girl, bobbing her head from side to side.

"Does Arle and the ones from her world-" Risukuma cut himself off, covering his mouth and trying to form his question. He wanted to sound respectful, but his question seemed almost inappropriate to him.

Arle raised her hand. "I know what you're going to ask. The age ban, right?"

Risukuma relaxed, setting his paws back into his lap. "Yes. Do they know about it?"

"Well, with no one from their world even bothering to figure out what happened to their time line, then, yes, they probably do."

"Th-then what about Amitie's world? Did Satan interfere with Primp Town, too? He's visited that place a lot, too, with the Arle we know!" Ringo blurted, shooting up from her seat. Her hands slapped against the table, and Maguro yipped, snatching his glass before it could topple into Arle's curry.

Arle tilted her head. "I don't know of that place. It's not connected to my world. That place must be part of some unrelated universe."

"O-oh, so, Amitie and Sig and the others from that place must age normally like us ✮!" Maguro chirped, and he quickly downed his water, finishing it off with a sigh. He remained complacent for another moment only for his eyes to bulge behind his bangs, and he nearly dropped his glass.

"Ah, it seems like you get it now," Arle said, taking a sip of her own water. "Those people will never age because of Satan's will. While you three will continue aging, while these Primp Town people will grow older, those who inhabited the old, magical world never will." Arle closed her eyes, immersing herself in the paradise that had been her old world. Her mother flashed in her mind, but she banished the memory as Ringo stepped away, sweat trickling down her cheeks.

Arle followed her lead along with Risukuma and Maguro. The boys steadied Ringo, asking if she needed help. She knew explaining immortality would have been problematic. They were just children compared to her, infants next to a relic. Being told their days were eventually numbered dampened any normal person especially if they were so pitiful with magic being spent on Puyo battles.

She, however, was not normal and knew the consequences of going against the natural order. Arle's fists clenched at her sides before she took her plate of curry, thanking Ringo for the use of her kitchen.

"I'll be taking my leave. I think I've caused you enough harm as it is," she said, turning away and heading for the entrance, "especially when you three have been very good hosts."

"Hold on!" Ringo shouted, hobbling after her. She snatched Arle's arm, feeling the weathered muscle beneath the cloth of her shirt, and her eyes widened. She stepped backwards, sheepishly gripping her own forearm.

"What is it?" Arle asked.

She twirled one of her pigtails with a deft finger, looping it around her scarlet strands. "I'm sorry for reacting that way. It was just...so unscientific to hear all of that."

Arle's mouth fell open an inch. Ringo's response lingered in the air, mingling with the wafting, now cool scent of the curry spices. She peered at Maguro and Risukuma, finding them exchanging a wary glance.

Ringo clasped her hands together by her waist. "My world is different from the one you told us about. In fact, it's incomparable. Yours was magical while mine is, well, modern." She snickered, reminding Arle of how Merrow used to chuckle, a low tone rolling with amusement. Ringo lowered her head, her chin almost connecting with her neck. "I guess I just couldn't wrap my head around it. Hearing that my friends will stay the same while I get older is just...painful, I guess."

"Ringo-" Maguro began, but Risukuma stopped him by grabbing his shoulder. He winced, gnawing on his lower lip, a gesture Arle made sure she noted.

Ringo rocked on her heels and wrapped her arms behind her back. Her eyes focused on the tiled floor of her kitchen. She was still unsure of what to make of everything. She felt as if the world she had known suddenly became a glass ball in Arle's hands, and Arle smashed it against the floor, scattering it to pieces.

Ringo wasn't a foolish girl. One day, she knew her time would come. It would be the same for Maguro, Risukuma, Amitie, and so many others, but Arle was ageless. She was a timeless being along with some of the precious friends Ringo had come to trust and love like her own family.

She wondered if she would become a dot on their memories. A happy occurrence to think about whenever they were bored hundreds of years in the future could have become her stain in their world.

"She's a rather selfish version of me, isn't she?" Arle sneered, and Ringo flinched, her head jerking up. She snickered, weighing her plate in one hand. "Making friends just to forget about them in years to come. How sad."

"I don't want to think she would be like that," Ringo said, choosing precise words to cut through Arle's assertion. "I believe the Arle I know also views me as a friend and-"

Arle pointed at Ringo's chest, fire dancing in her pupils, and the right corner of her lips spread into her cheek. "The other me is frivolous. An immortal girl with only a fraction of my power living day to day while you'll grow older and eventually, you'll die. One day, she'll forget all about you just like how she ignored the bonds she once shared with my dearest friends. Then-!"

Hands pushed her backwards. For the first time in hundreds of years, Arle allowed some mere child to put his hands on her and shove her. Curry flew into the air, but she tossed her plate upwards, catching each drop of curry, chicken, and rice. As unbelievable as it sounded, no bits or drops of food splattered onto the floor.

Maguro panted, hands raised out and muscles tense. He shifted his weight onto his front leg. As Ringo shouted at his name, he blurted, "What's the matter with you? Don't say those things to Ringo! What kind of person are you ✮?"

"I'm saying a simple truth," Arle said, and she pivoted. With her back to them, she looked over her shoulder and added, "Thank you for allowing me to make you a meal. It felt like I was really doing something with my friends again."

Her cape swished as she left. Her straightened back, not one hint of a curve or hunch, remained resolute. As if using telekinesis, Arle levitated the plate of curry into the air and opened the front door. She nodded at them, collected the plate, and she left, closing the door behind her.

They were left in tepid silence. Eyes glanced around, darting back and forth as if daring someone to fill the void with anything. Risukuma thrummed as if deep in thought before uttering a harrumph.

"You shouldn't have pushed her, Maguro," he scolded, and Maguro threw his arms out.

"You heard what she was saying to Ringo! All that stuff about dying and immortality and being forgotten ✮!" Maguro snapped, anger hissing out with each word.

Ringo crossed her arms. "We know that, Maguro. It wasn't right of her to do that, but she's so different from us. She's someone who faced the Creator of her universe and lost everything to space-time and-"

"-and then Ecolo had to go bring her here ✮," Maguro grumbled, glaring at nothing.

The mention of the trickster caused the hairs on Ringo's neck to stand at attention. She wondered why Ecolo had not made themself known, and she peered over her shoulder as if expecting them to be watching. Ringo scowled at spots she believed Ecolo to be hiding such as the nearest closet and the adjacent staircase to the darkened shadows coating the windows.

"We should go after her," Ringo said, and Maguro scoffed.

"Sorry, Ringo, but I'll sit this one out ✮." He took his kendama out of his pocket, bouncing the ball on the left cup.

"Come on, Maguro! She doesn't know anything about this world! We can't just leave her to her own devices." Ringo gulped. "I mean, what if she, you know, since she's so powerful..."

"She could cause some dangerous trouble," Risukuma finished, bobbing his head. "She mentioned she had tried to replace the Arle we know in the past. What if she tries to do it again? What if she goes after the Dark Prince?"

"If she gets to Satan-no, if she manages to really...kill him, then what would happen to the world of our Arle?" Ringo shouted, shock etching onto her features as she shot her arms up into the air. "We have to go stop her! Right now! Before anything really bad happens!"

Ringo and Risukuma took off running, leaving Maguro to play with his kendama. Commenting that he would hold down the fort as the door slammed shut, he sighed.

He would never react so violently to anyone, but Arle was different. She had purposefully tormented Ringo just to see her sweat. Even though Ringo said she understood where Arle was coming from, Arle still took twisted pleasure in seeing her writhe with the realization of impermanence.

He wondered if Yu and Rei ever had that problem because they were ghosts as he sulked, lowering his kendama. They were beings who could exist forever with the constant desire to make living people into tangible ghouls. If he died, he pondered if he could become like them.

A swift shake of his head banished all of his thoughts. Maguro was far too young to even think about something as mortifying as mortality. He scratched his fingers through his hair, hunching forward and trying to make sense of what had happened in the span of dinnertime.

Ecolo must have had some ulterior motive. They never would have brought Arle here if it wasn't for amusement. They always sought joy through mischief and chaos, so why not bring a living, breathing goddess right to the Ando Family Fresh Produce shop just to kick off some budding pandemonium? They already possessed the Arle he knew, so why not go the extra mile and bring in her other almighty half?

Or...other self? Half self? Full self ✮? Maguro thought, itching his chin as he tried to make sense of it all. Man, this is too confusing. Why's any of this-?

A knock at the door startled his thoughts following a flash of lightning streaking across the window. Thunder rolled in the distance, and Maguro's legs trembled as he stood up. He inched for the door, wincing as harsh knuckles rapped against the door once more. He gripped the doorknob, noticing rain beginning to cascade down the nearest window. Swallowing his fear, Maguro ripped the door open.

He was presented with an empty plate with cutlery on it. Bits of rice and mushy carrots remained stuck to the plate's surface. Maguro pursed his lips.

Arle stood there and held the plate out, saying, "I realized I had to return and give this plate back to Ringo. After all, I'm not a thief."

"O-oh! Great! Thank you ✮!" Maguro blurted, and he stepped aside. "Um, why not come back in? Ringo and Ris went out looking for you ✮."

"They think I'm trouble, don't they? Think I'm going to go after Satan?"

"N-no! Not a chance ✮!"

Arle rolled her eyes. "You're a bad liar. You're kind of like Seriri in that regard."

Nervous chuckles rolled off his tongue. He allowed Arle entrance, quickly shutting the door and fishing for his cellphone. Slapping his palms, he groaned when he remembered he left it at home.

Arle stepped into the living room. She gazed at the plush couch along with the sheer white rug. Photographs of Ringo's family lined the walls, and she smelled a faint scent of pine coming off the new coffee table situated in the center of the room. Directing her attention to the television, she felt curiosity itching at her backside when she saw the buttons residing on the front of the sleek, black box.

"So, uh, you up for some shows ✮?" Maguro asked, sheepishly stepping in front of her. He hit the power button and then reclined back into the couch.

Pictures flashed on the screen as Maguro changed the channel. Arle watched, transfixed as various sights burned into her retinas. Glossy beaches on travel shows to animated features stretched through her vision. With every blink came new sounds and imagery from Maguro's incessant channel surfing. When curry suddenly flashed on the screen, she ordered Maguro to stop.

"You-you really like curry ✮," he said, setting the remote on his thighs.

Arle sat down next to him, lips pursed and eyes wide as a woman explained how to make various kinds of curry. "Technology in this world is incredible. To think there are people so dedicated to making curry that they would make something like this."

"Yeah! There's loads of shows to watch ✮." He felt a sense of comfort wash over him as Arle grinned, fascinated with the chef's lecture of the right amount of spiciness. Leaning forward, he offered her the remote. "Hey, Arle, sorry I shoved you. Wanna watch whatever you want to make up for it ✮?"

Arle hesitated. She reached for the remote only to grip her knee. When Maguro asked if she was okay, she sighed. She pinched her brow, shaking her head.

"I went too far. Playing with that girl's feelings was also wrong of me," she said, and Maguro frowned.

"Well, yeah. You can't just go up to people and say they're gonna die ✮," Maguro deadpanned, and Arle chuckled, glancing away.

"That, well, that sounds about right." Arle looked at the ceiling, and Maguro noticed her eyes were unfocused.

Thinking it was safe to touch her, Maguro patted her elbow. "Um, Arle? You okay ✮?"

"What I said to your friend," she said, closing her eyes, "has also hit a little too close to home with me."

Maguro pondered her words only for the realization to strike him down like the next lightning bolt illuminating the rainy world. He rubbed his neck and crossed his ankles. Searching for words, Maguro decided it was best for her to continue if she wanted to press forward.

"When I tried to replace that girl, no one remembered me. Not Rulue or Schezo. Not Witch or Panotty or Suketoudara. Nobody," Arle said, and Maguro found her posture to be sleepy, leaning towards him with half-lidded eyes and tight lips. "Try as I might, even if I succeeded, what would be there for me? Just husks of people I once knew? How pathetic."

Maguro cupped his hands. "The Dark Prince really did erase their memories, huh ✮?"

"No. I already explained this part, but here it is again since your ears must be full of wax. They died, and then, Satan recreated them all without memories of my world," Arle deadpanned. She resisted the urge to set his stupid hair on fire.

Maguro chuckled and shrugged. "Well, when I'm being told a long history lesson like that, I kinda tuned out at times. Gets me in trouble at school all the time ✮."

She should have expected his answer, but even still, it made her shoulders sag. Arle rubbed her eyes, leaning back into the couch. Maguro was almost as irritatingly forgetful and jovial as Sasori Man.

"Sorry, sorry, I'll pay attention in the future when it comes to these lessons, ma'am ✮," Maguro joked, and Arle snorted.

"I'll forgive you. After all, I'm a reasonable goddess."

Maguro beamed, slapping his hands together as if he were worshiping her. "Should I start praying to you? Maybe I should begin offering up animal sacrifices or would Puyo suffice, your godliness ✮?"

Laughter hit her closed lips and emerged as an oddly pitched warble. Arle covered her mouth, straightening as Maguro beamed, clearly impressed with his own comedic genius.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but that won't be needed," she said, waving her hand, "when it's the Goddess of Time who takes on the souls of Puyo in exchange for power."

"But, hey, real talk ✮!" Maguro leaped to his feet, blocking the television. "If you wanna hang out with some new people and make new memories, then you should stick with us! We're a lot of fun. We have some pretty cool adventures some times, too. In fact, we recently saved another world from this girl named Rafisol ✮."

"Oh? Someone like you went on an adventure?" Arle crossed her arms. "Tell me, what exactly was your role in all that?"

"I was on the front lines ✮!" Maguro thrust his hand out like he was some sort of superhero. "I'll give you the rundown, and it's all gonna be true! Scout's honor ✮!"

Arle listened to Maguro tell a tale of his utmost bravery in battling the evils of Rafisol. How he made himself out to be the hero, swooping in to save Ringo during a harrowing Puyo battle against strange creatures made her lips quirk into a grin. He acted suave and dashing, making Satan and Ecolo writhe with jealousy, a part that made her truly smile.

Perhaps, she thought, she could find some semblance of peace. Just for a little while, she could call Suzuran City not a home but a base of operations. A place she could carve out for her planning against Satan while also having time to relax with new, yet inexperienced acquaintances.

As Ringo and Risukuma hurried through the door, trekking raindrops on the carpet, Arle grinned and waved with Maguro. She was going to at least enjoy herself on her little detour before setting out to accomplish a goal known only to the innermost sanctity of her shattered heart.

Yet, at the same time, Ecolo stood at the threshold of Puyo Hell, and all they could do was grin. The fun was about to start its rising action.


	3. In-Between Abilities

In-Between Abilities

Yesterday had certainly been a surprising turn of events. It was something completely unscientific as Ringo said, an anomaly in the history of space-time. While Risukuma had pondered the existence of doppelgangers in his spare time, he was rather disconcerted with recent developments in his research.

Arle's mere existence was a blight on what should have been Satan's perfect, ageless world. She was a paradoxical being with memories of an erased universe, in which no one else from that destroyed place was allowed to remember. Only the essential deity of that world, Satan, maintained knowledge of it.

Last night, his private deductions with Ringo and Maguro as Arle rested in Ringo's bed led to a bleak conclusion. If Arle decided to go after Satan and destroy him, it would most certainly lead to the complete evisceration of the world he made. Yet, he was not entirely sure what would happen to the inhabitants. If they were off-world when their god died, would they simply vanish or would they continue living on as if nothing had happened, trapped in a new place without any fathomable idea of what could have happened to their world? For once, he was thoroughly mind-boggled.

Risukuma poured a scarlet vial into a blue test tube in the physics club room. He watched the violet concoction bubble and rise only to quickly settle. He swirled the liquid, watching it mesh into a jelly-like substance before dipping the mixture into his mouth. Gulping it down, he sighed as the tangy substance crossed his tongue into his throat.

"Ah, that's no good. A sour gelatin just isn't good," Risukuma said, and his guest continued leering at him in absolute disbelief.

"So, this is what you do in your spare time? Make textures for food? You remind me of Nohoho," Arle asked, leaning against the counter. She peered at the variety of beakers, test tubes, and blue prints lining the walls. Most of the vials were bubbling with soup-like jelly, an aroma of sweet and sour scents wafting from them. Each had numbers written on them in black marker. She scanned a selection of the math and science textbooks filling the open cabinets and shelves. Procuring one of them, she flipped through a few pages, and her eyebrows immediately shot up her forehead to nearly reach her hairline. Pointing at the complex equations in the book, she asked Risukuma for an explanation.

"Ah, you're reading about trigonometry. That's one of Ringo's specialties," he said, sparing a glance at the textbook. "Also, I'll have you know this is for my cooking class. I've been tasked with making sweet, sweet gelatin. I'm certain I can make a perfectly sweet treat using formulas and science instead of the old-fashioned way."

Arle peered out the window, not entirely interested in his explanation. Risukuma's world was built on modern eccentricities, ones that left her head aching. Complex mathematics was a subject she simply did not want to ponder ever. Not even once in her eternal prison of solitude did she consider anything extreme like the multitudes of theories surrounding trigonometry.

Risukuma briskly returned to his test tubes and kept his back to her. It was rather awkward having Arle around during his free period. With Ringo and Maguro in class, he was left as Arle's companion. No one wanted to risk leaving Arle alone under the pretense that she may seek out Satan and cause some manner of catastrophe. Keeping a close eye on her had been his conclusion, but now that he was alone without any means of distraction like a television or story to tell in Maguro's case, the silence deafened him.

Perhaps she enjoyed the peace, but if he fathomed spending hundreds of years in isolation, then maybe silence was not his best option. Risukuma cleared his throat, asking if Arle enjoyed Suzuran Junior High.

Arle walked towards the open window. The cool breeze massaged her face, and the faintest trace of drizzling rain tickled her cheeks and eyelashes. The sun mimicked the one she remembered, hot and just a little too bright for her eyes. Stretching overhead was a white, cloudy sky with threaded patches of cerulean.

Yet, the differences ended. Risukuma's school was carved out of entirely metal and cement with fluorescent lights. She scanned the campus, watching cars enter and leave the parking lot, continuing to pollute the world with their toxins. Schoolchildren went to and fro, each without a care in the world or any ability for magic. Students chatted as they walked to their next class. Their backpacks and bags made of leather and nylon left Arle with a memory of herself entering the magic school with her own knapsack filled with what she would need for the day.

When she looked beyond the school, she saw rising buildings, each filled with workers and busybodies. They kept the eyes forward, refusing to communicate with others as they passed into the shopping district. Buildings blocked the forest and natural earth, overpowering the soil with metal and wires sinking deeper into the crust. The stink of car fumes even wafted up to her head, and she gritted her molars.

She closed her eyes, picturing the path she took as a young child where fairies imbued her with the ability to cast magic. Their smiles defeated the foreboding shadows of the immense foliage looming over her. Even her subsequent adventures in caves, ruins, and other endeavors all mingled with nature. Small towns and villages, filled with pine scents and friendly faces, warmed her chest, but sharp laughter pierced her longing.

When she glanced down, she found schoolyard bullies ganging up on another student, snatching their homework out of her hands and complaining the other girl was late in delivering it. They were girls, each dressed in Suzuran's school uniform with impractical accessories. Their cellphones, as Maguro had called those strange devices, were decorated with plastic ornaments and chains. Their faces were caked in makeup despite their young age, and Arle stiffed her lips. If they inhabited her world facing a trial, then they would certainly be defeated in nanoseconds by a mere zombie.

Arle snapped her fingers. The sound was like a striking match, and crackling fire burst onto the girls' papers. Their rich screams delighted her. The bullied girl's dumbfounded expression made her lips quirk into a smirk. As the punks scattered, Arle watched the victim glance around and scurry away, leaving the papers a scorched, black mark on the otherwise perfect sidewalk.

Rulue would have been a much better companion than any of them. Lagnus, with all of his bravado about heroism and chivalry, would have been like a close sibling that she loved to tease. She would have even taken Lala for all of her obnoxious proclamations over Camus any day. Even Schezo, despite his unfortunate word choices, was a much better friend.

She touched her shoulder, but Carbuncle was not there. The foreign weightlessness on her body made her heart seize as if an artery had suddenly been clogged. She chewed on her tongue, attempting to halt the blood draining from her complexion. Arle swallowed again and again, but as Risukuma's monotonous explanation about jelly morphed into static, her pupils constricted, and she could not breathe.

When Arle looked up, she found herself in a dark cave. The jagged walls seemed to close in with liquid beating her shoulders. Dampness consumed her as if wrapping her with a wet blanket. She gripped her brow, wiping away sweat and blinked as her world changed, meshing in a tidal pool of browns and blues.

The Creator sneered down at her, his presence overbearing and blocking out the sun. The corpses of her friends, scattered before her, bled out on the cave floor. Schezo, missing his head and clutching his sword, beckoned her to face the Creator. He reached for her, but rigor mortis stiffened him. Rulue and Minotauros were splayed out on cobblestone in front of the magic school, arms and legs bent at odd angles. Draco's wings were ripped, tears flooding her swimming vision as she cried out for Arle only to simply perish. Witch's neck was bent at a strange angle, her eyes wide and bulging. Even her teacher was there, her eternal smile present despite the blood dripping from her lips.

Satan's back faced her, and he left with part of her as the floor caved in. She fell deeper and deeper, and silent screaming burned her throat. Her mouth ripped open, but no sound emerged.

Laughter and school bells rammed into her skull, but she was not home. She was not at the magic school nor would she ever return. Rulue's bold proclamations about defeating Arle in a test would never again grace her ears. Carbuncle would never bounce her shoulders as they explored. Mandrake's shrill cries after being pulled out of the ground or Behemoth's peculiar laughing would never reach her. She would never again hear the bizarre proclamations from Hanzo, Lagnus, Suketoudara, or Schezo.

Arle glared at the vast expansive of Suzuran City. For her world to be decimated while such a place existed left her feeling as if she had tasted mold. The crawling realization that her world and all of its inhabitants were gone was a sensation she felt often, but now existing in a modern place with careless people and metal buildings forced her fingers to clench into fists.

Her eternal world died, and this moving planet of steel and modernity replaced it? Arle wanted to throw her head back and cry.

"Ah! Could this be the right solution? Arle, you must look!" Risukuma called, and when Arle turned, her lips became a straight, thin line.

Risukuma chugged a pink substance from his flask. His cheeks bulged, shooting the goo left and right, and queasiness pinched Arle's stomach. When he swallowed, Risukuma's eyes flashed in a way that reminded Arle of Archan.

"Mystery solved!" Risukuma proclaimed, and he dove towards one of the several black tables, snatching his bag from a chair. He ripped out a series of notebooks, and from his lab coat pocket, he procured a blue pen. With lightning speed, he jotted down his formulas and process on how he created the perfect sweet gelatin.

As Risukuma sighed and leaned back in his seat, Arle said, "Congratulations. You modern people really have it easy."

Risukuma shook his head. "Oh, no, not at all. That took me days to figure out. In fact..." He shot up from his seat, his chair clattering behind him. "...I consider that to be my own magic."

Arle's eyes widened, and she crossed her arms. "Magic? But isn't that just science?"

"Not at all. When I play Puyo, my spells are based around love and my potions." Risukuma gestured at a series of beakers. "When I create enough chains, my magic enhances my mixtures into a powerful exploding substance. That way, I can throw them to cause various effects such as smokescreens or blasts."

Arle hummed, tilting her head. She knew Puyo battles could grant anyone the fleeting usage of magic. Sacrificing Puyo to the Goddess of Time in exchange for power was a great gift to those who were helpless. She remembered Rulue praying to the Goddess before setting off to enhance her magical skills through popping Puyo. It seemed the same effect happened for those in other worlds.

"Wait a minute," Arle interjected, cutting the air with her hand, "you said Ringo had specialties in this 'trigonometry.' Is that related to magic?"

"Ah, I'm glad you asked!" Risukuma beamed. "Ringo, Maguro, and myself are all proficient Puyo players. Ringo's specialties lies in mathematics, which create lightning-based attacks. As for Maguro, he channels his magic into his kendama, allowing him to use his kendama techniques as attacks."

Arle's eyes sparkled. Magic had at least grazed Suzuran. If they practiced Puyo, she wondered if there was the chance more people could use spells.

"Unfortunately, only the three of us play Puyo. If word spread that there really could be magical duels, well, the world might fall into chaos." Risukuma chuckled.

Her smile faltered, but she understood his meaning. Having immense magical power, she knew it was a gift and a curse. Allowing the wrong people to be gifted with magic could have created atrocities. Even a simple game of Puyo had consequences. For her, losing that Puyo match to her other self only cursed her to a void where no one heard her screams.

"Would you like to play Puyo?" Risukuma asked, pushing in his chair. "With my experiment complete, I'd like to show you my abilities. Perhaps I could even get a few pointers from a magical master?"

Arle straightened, her lips parting ever so slightly. It had been what felt like eons since her humiliating defeat, but he was a presumed novice. If she could not best Risukuma with all of her godly abilities, then she certainly had no point in existing.

She smirked. Stepping away, she created the playing field and raised her hand. As they swiftly curled into a fist, she uttered, "Let's Puyo battle."

All at once, Puyos poured from a rift above their heads. The swirling, deep violet vortex dropped down Puyos. Blue, red, yellow, and green blobs blinked and were quickly stacked. Arle merely had to point, rotating her finger to turn the Puyos as she needed them to be positioned.

She glanced over at Risukuma, finding his expression collected compared to many of her past opponents. He maintained a cool elegance, setting his Puyos into a standard chain as if to test her abilities. She watched Risukuma raise a beaker, and it bubbled with a deep blue liquid. His arm shook as he set off his chain, launching his beaker above Arle's head.

"Infatuation!" Risukuma bellowed, the beaker exploding and sending a smokescreen around her head.

It was an interesting idea, she supposed. Twisting magic and science together was something she had never pondered. Sighing, she raised her arms as the nuisance Puyo collected overhead. Even if he was testing her, his spell was insulting to a being with godly powers.

"Void Hole," she purred, and before the nuisance Puyos could fall, she collected them in a black hole.

Risukuma's eyes bulged, misplacing a Puyo and ruining his chain. He had never seen someone simply block nuisance Puyos with an interjecting spell, especially without sacrificing any Puyos to do so. Only by countering the magic with an equally powerful chain protected him from what he had seen in battles. The gawp on his face must have been thoroughly amusing to Arle, and he withheld his grimace, attempting to come back from his error.

"If your magic is this weak, then you really need to train. Even Skeleton-T could use a special move," she dryly said, flicking her fingers about and then snapping them. "My apologies, Risukuma, but this is game over."

Her Puyos popped. Each pair of eyes bulged and then, the Puyos burst. Magic swelled against her palms, causing the air to pop and Risukuma to panic. The magical sphere forming in Arle's hands burned, then froze, and then electrified, fizzling and whirring all the way as a cosmic amount of nuisance Puyos threatened to smash onto Risukuma.

His paws trembled, and he could only vacantly stare at the Puyos. More and more formed, appearing out of thin air awaiting to crush him. Risukuma's thumb twitched as he set off his chain, but the pooling anxiety overshadowed his spell. With his potion bubbling, Risukuma sighed and tossed it, exploding his most powerful spell in a chaotic series of bursts, but it was not enough.

Risukuma's eyes slammed shut, but only a couple of nuisance Puyos clocked him. He rubbed his ears, daring to look up at the black hole above his head. The swirling darkness captivated him only to suddenly vanish.

When he stared at Arle, he found her waving her hand above her head. The hundreds of nuisance Puyos she summoned gathered like a miniature tornado readying to strike him down and completely obliterate him. As Risukuma raised his arms as a makeshift shield, Arle summoned her Void Hole once more and flicked her wrist, sealing the nuisance Puyos inside.

"It wouldn't be right to just crush a beginner like that," Arle said, snickering as the black hole disappeared.

Risukuma heaved a sigh and wiped his brow. "Well, that was unexpected! I learned a lot from that match. How did you use your spell in the middle of our match?"

Arle tutted, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "I guess the Arle you know never bothered to teach you about special moves."

"She sure didn't!"

Ringo's voice broke through their conversation, and she raced between the desks. Maguro stood near the door, visibly sweaty with his lips stretched into an awkward smile. She skidded to a stop in front of Arle, her eyes wide and full of stars. Snatching Arle's hands, she dragged the taller girl closer.

"That was amazing! To~ta~lly in~cred~i~ble! A Pu~yo pop~ping phe~no~me~non!" Ringo sang, and Arle shot a thoroughly bewildered glance at Risukuma.

"She sings sometimes," he said, and Arle shrugged, accepting it like she did with all of her old problems.

"I gotta say, that was wicked ✮!" Maguro exclaimed, inching closer and taking off his jacket. Patting his scarlet face with it, he added, "I guess that's a goddess for ya! Powerful beyond all compare ✮."

"Well, even I can make mistakes, but thank you," Arle said, smirking.

"Can you teach me that? I wanna learn how to use a special move, too!" Ringo gushed, her face filling all of Arle's vision. She leaned into her, nearly knocking Arle into a set of Risukuma's vials on another table.

Arle hummed, the prospect making her feel something. It was a bubbly emotion, one she hadn't felt in centuries. Her heart pounded, and blood rushed through her veins far faster than before.

Ringo's infectious excitement contaminated Maguro, who also requested Arle's help. Risukuma nodded, saying he would be honored if she taught them all. With the three students grinning at her, Arle's cheeks flushed hot pink, and she felt like she was floating. Her body raised up with their cajoling compliments, all of them so mesmerized with magic and Puyo battles.

It felt like she was surrounded by her friends at the magic school. At any moment, her teacher would arrive with a persistent smile and urge everyone to become wonderful mages. In that short moment, Arle felt like she had come home.

"I haven't taught anyone in so long..." Arle murmured as translucent cobalt hair and fiery emerald eyes burned in her mind, her memory of offering Rulue entrance to the magic school flashing before her. Yet, she shook her head, filling her sight with Ringo, Maguro, and Risukuma. Wrapping her hands around Ringo's palms, she broke into a grin, one she hadn't worn in ages. "...but I'll be darned if I don't! I'll gladly teach you three how to really use magic."

As Arle acquired new students, Ecolo was left facing a rather bizarre scene after infiltrating Satan's castle. They tilted their head, a loud thrum of amused confusion slipping out of their mouth. They floated forward, immersing themself in Carbuncle dolls, posters, and even a Carbuncle bedspread. Approaching the bed, they chuckled at the strange sight of Satan, wrapped in a Carbuncle onesie, sleeping next to a life-sized Carbuncle doll.

"Well, this is one way to discover someone's super creepy obsession!" they barked, and Satan's eyes tore open, a shriek ripping from the back of his throat.

Satan snapped his glare at Ecolo, roaring, "What in Puyo Hell do you think you're doing here? How did you get past my guards?"

"Why, real easily!" Ecolo exclaimed, and they raised their arms, a puff of black smoke covering them, and they reappeared at the other end of Satan's bed as the smog cleared.

Satan sighed, leaping off his bed and throwing off his hood. "You better have a good reason for barging in like this completely unannounced and ruining my slumber. A prince needs to have good shuteye to keep up his magnificence."

"Yeah, yeah, fancy pants or should I say, Carbuncle pants?" Ecolo guffawed at their terrible joke. Wrapping their hands behind their head, they asked, "By the way, how's Arle?"

Satan sighed, the mere mention of Arle soothing his wrath. "My Arly is doing well. In fact, she bested me at Puyo yesterday and-"

"No, no! Not her!" Ecolo's grin stretched into their cheeks, a personage of wickedness usurping their whimsical nature. "I'm talking about the Arle I rescued from a dimensional void where her universe used to be after her super long brawl with her Creator. You know, the one you left behind and then banished there after she tried erasing the Arle you created?"

Silence harbored and echoed. Ecolo allowed their words to rest in the electrified room, the desire for an answer too great to ruin with jokes and jibes. Satan wore a mask of neutrality. It was as if someone had sucked the life out of him and left a husk behind.

"Don't try playing ignorant. I met her. We had a long, nice talk." Ecolo levitated around Satan, who unzipped his outfit and walked towards his closet. As Satan opened it and donned his regular attire, Ecolo chuckled and shrugged. "What? Potentially villainous original Arle got your-!"

"Cataclysm!" Satan roared, thrusting his hand out and snatching Ecolo's throat. Black energy pulsed in his hand, and it devoured Ecolo, consuming their body with lightning fast pulses striking them. The harsh scream splitting from the back of Ecolo's throat would have delighted Satan on any other occasion, but he tossed Ecolo aside, slamming them against a row of Carbuncle dolls.

Ecolo groaned, their head pounding as the dolls' blank eyes bore unto them. They clutched their chin, heaving as pain settled against their body. It had been what felt like an eternity since they had known genuine agony, crying out pitiful croons only to quiet their tongue as Satan hovered over them.

Satan narrowed his glare. All pretenses vanished. Clutching Ecolo's head, he slowly raised them to eye level and drank in the terror swarming in Ecolo's eyes.

"Tell me what you did," Satan snarled, "or I'll erase you, too."

"G-geez! You're really n-not mincing your words," Ecolo sputtered, trying to grin, but Satan tightened his grip. Yelping, Ecolo reflexively clutched Satan's wrist.

"Answer me, you hideous little gremlin." Satan's cold voice pierced Ecolo, who could only freeze against the wall. "Since you seem to know so much, you will tell me every thing that transpired."

Ecolo hesitated, their humor finally failing them. A grim smirk wormed its way onto their face, and they sighed. They had hoped Satan would freak out, flailing their arms and crying for his precious Arly to remain safe.

"I guess you're pretty interested in that girl, huh?" Ecolo asked.

"Oh, I'm incredibly perplexed that you brought her to this realm, Ecolo," Satan replied, and he dropped them, watching as the space-time voyager crumbled at his feet. "If your answer displeases me, then you can say goodbye to your worthless existence."

Without any resisting fanfare, Ecolo told the truth. Watching the crease form in Satan's brow and his pupils enlarge were Ecolo's private pleasures. They recited everything including Arle's long, arduous tale. When they mentioned her struggles, they found themself befuddled as Satan's expression warped into something of misery, and the sigh ghosting Satan's lips sent their curiosity blazing.

"I'll depart for Suzuran at once," Satan proclaimed, turning away from Ecolo.

"What'll you do? Get rid of her once and for all when all she wants to do is be remembered? Too bad a certain someone turned all her friends into his playthings," Ecolo countered, stumbling to their feet. They glanced at the floor. "Believe me, Satan. I know what she's going through."

"A thing like you will never fathom her pain," Satan hissed, and he stormed through his double doors, barking for Ecolo to leave at once and keep their hands off his Carbuncle collection.

Ecolo sighed and reclined on Satan's bed. So far, it seemed like nothing was working out in their favor. They did not want Satan and Arle to eventually smash together in an all-out brawl, one that would must certainly destroy Ringo's universe. That would have been completely unfair to Ringo.

Maybe a little brawl would have been fine. If they got rid of Maguro, then they could have considered allowing them to go a tad bit wild, but their mind was spinning with complexities and theories to worry about Pretty Boy. Sitting upright, Ecolo grinned.

"Too bad, Satan," they said, snatching one of the several Carbuncle dolls and squeezing it, "that you still think you thought everything through. Well, I guess I'll really give those gods a surprise!"

Back in a time long forgotten, one they only vaguely remembered in the present, Ecolo cackled while the world crashed down around them, and a hand stretched out for them.


	4. In-Between Rumors

In-Between Rumors

 _Have you heard? There lives a witch deep within the Woods of Nahe._

 _Legends say the Witch of Nahe has been around long before Primp Town was founded. Only spoken tales exist to certify her existence, but none have ever seen her true form. What does she look like? A crone? A maiden? Something beyond your wildest dreams?_

 _Some say she is beautiful when she cries. Her haunting voice wails into the night, piercing through the velvet sky. She is forlorn, but none have gathered the courage to ask why she sobs. She is too powerful, too pained to listen to reasoning and conjecture._

 _As the centuries passed with loneliness as her morbid companion, she is believed to be mad. Her mind is corrupt, and her heart is broken. Ravaged by agonizing years of isolation, the witch may tempt her guests to come inside her abode, and you will never leave once those crooked doors slam shut._

 _They say if you find her home made of twisted bark and roots, she will ask you what happened to her world. If you cannot answer, then she will strike you down in an instant. No one will find your flesh. You'll just be another victim of the unknown witch._

"Well, that's the dumbest story I've ever heard, Tarutaru!"

Amitie flicked her head up, a trickle of drool clinging to her lips. She looked around, blinking away the sleep from her eyes. She was sitting in her classroom, evidently haven fallen asleep during her break period. Yawning, Amitie stretched, and her back cracked.

Directing her attention to the source of the yelling, Amitie found Raffina and Tarutaru standing in the hallway. Raffina stood on her tiptoes, fists balled at her sides as she glared up at Tarutaru. Furrowing his brow, Tarutaru insisted he was telling the truth, and Raffina scoffed. Curiosity seized Amitie, and she flounced over to the doorway, cheerfully greeting her friends.

"Oh, hello, Amitie. Did you enjoy your drooling slumber?" Raffina sneered, crossing her arms.

Amitie chuckled, quickly rubbing her mouth. "Yep! I had a great dream about-"

"Amitie, you've heard of the Witch of Nahe, right?" Tarutaru asked, knocking into Raffina and pushing her aside.

Raffina grunted and steadied herself. Rubbing her forearm, she snapped, "Watch it, Tarutaru! I could've been bowled over!"

Tarutaru mumbled his apology and pressed his fingers together. Asking Amitie again if she heard about the witch, he groaned when Amitie simply tilted her head.

"Is there really a witch in the woods?" Amitie asked, breaking into a broad grin. "Goody! If she's a witch, then she must be a great magic user!"

"Oh, don't be silly." Raffina shook her head at Amitie's presumptive thought. Cocking her hip out, she crossed her arms. "In fact, because I've never heard of this supposed 'legend,' then it must not be true. If there was really such a powerful witch, then wouldn't the entire town know of her? Wouldn't they want to stop her if she becomes hostile?"

"It's been three hundred years since her last sighting," Tarutaru insisted, "because she only came to Primp Town once! The legends say she came at night and called out the name of her beloved, but when he didn't answer, she sunk back into the shadows of the forest. After that, there's been no sightings."

"Oh, just now, why did your vocabulary become so flowery? It sounds cheesy to me!" Raffina laughed, tossing her head back, and Tarutaru reddened, blurting out that he was being honest.

Amitie hummed as Tarutaru persisted with his belief in the witch to the unimpressed Raffina. While Amitie had never heard about the specific rumors, she remembered Ms. Accord teaching her class all about Primp Town's greatest magicians. While she was not exactly paying attention, a smidgen of the lesson clung to her memories.

Like Tarutaru said, Amitie recalled Ms. Accord discussing a sorceress with an potent aura, one which frightened the villagers of Primp Town's earliest days to remain inside their cabins. As the night stretched on with no one making a sound, the alleged witch ambled throughout the unpaved streets. She had slammed her fists on the cabin doors, crying out the names of her lost ones. Afterwards, the witch was never seen again, and no one saw her true form. Some alleged she was a demon, but the notion of her being a miserable witch remained as the solemn truth for years to come.

"Actually, yeah! I know what you're talking about, Tarutaru," Amitie said, snapping her fingers, and Raffina gasped as Amitie reminded her about Ms. Accord's lecture.

Quickly shutting her mouth, Raffina straightened and asked, "So, it's true? If Ms. Accord says so, perhaps it is."

"That's what I've been saying this whole time," Tarutaru huffed, crossing his arms.

"But goody! Do you guys think this witch is still around?" Amitie gushed, raising her fists to her chest.

Tarutaru scratched his head. "Well, unfortunately, like I said, no one has ever encountered her. Even in the past, she was just a voice and had a really strange and strong aura. No one's caught a glimpse of her."

"And if any did, then they certainly aren't around anymore." Raffina smirked, jerking her attention to Amitie. "Hey, Amitie, let's find this witch. If she's a really powerful witch, then meeting and battling her would make excellent training for a gorgeous, powerful maiden like myself."

Tarutaru itched his cheek, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple. "Uh, would the witch even wanna come out of hiding just for you, Raffina?"

"Of course!" Raffina wrapped her arm around Amitie and pulled her closer. "I'll be needing a neutral party, so Amitie will be coming with me. Since you don't want to believe in me, Tarutaru, you can stay behind, and I'll fill you in on the most beautiful battle of Raffina and the Witch of Nahe!"

Before Amitie could protest, Raffina spun her around and began shoving her out the door. She caught Tarutaru's flimsy wave, wondering she was getting herself into as Raffina blathered about locating the witch as quickly as possible.

She only half-listened to Raffina as she was dragged out towards the forest. Her thoughts swirled with a mixture of eagerness and awe. If she were to really meet a great sorceress such as the Witch of Nahe, then she wondered if the witch was willing to impart some magical knowledge upon them. With centuries of experience, the witch must have mastered spells beyond Amitie's imagination.

Amitie beamed as they arrived at the Woods of Nahe. The taller trees towered over them, casting shadows along the earth and covering the girls. Raffina huffed, mumbling that she hoped any mosquitoes weren't around as she fanned her face. Sunlight split through the crevices of heavy leaves, and the humid air consumed them as they stepped into the forest. A swarm of insects swarmed through the shrubbery, their buzzing overpowering Amitie's thoughts. Regardless of the bugs, the forest's natural scent of pine and honeysuckle calmed her.

"Honestly! Tarutaru should have picked a different day to start such a rumor. It's way too hot to look for some old witch," Raffina said, lifting her nose to the sky and marching down a dirt path. She yelped as a flying beetle rushed for her face, and she swatted it with a well-timed slap, launching it into the dirt. Squishing it, she stomped it to bloody pieces and whined, "And these bugs are going to get annoying really fast! Can't they go bother someone else?"

Leaping over a few displaced tree roots, Amitie frowned and replied, "But you're the one who wanted to look for the witch in the first place. You can't blame Tarutaru or the bugs." She snickered, crossing her arms and skipping up to Raffina, her finger nearly touching the other girl's nose. "Besides, don't you wanna become stronger at magic if we find her? She can teach us stuff that not even Ms. Accord might know."

Raffina swallowed her pride and sputtering retort, a streak of scarlet staining her cheeks. Glaring away from Amitie, she hissed, "A maiden never backs down on her claims, but she can most certainly complain if the circumstances suddenly become nettlesome."

Amitie threw back her head and guffawed even as Raffina snarled at her to be quiet. She knew Raffina was a bit hypocritical, but hearing her complain after making bold proclamations always made her laugh. She wrapped her arms behind her back, scanning the forest ahead as Raffina grumbled, fanning herself and mumbling about her skin care regime.

Spotting a wooden cottage up ahead, Amitie recognized it as Oshare Bones' store. Grinning, Amitie wondered aloud if he might know anything about the witch. Hearing Raffina agree, Amitie trotted off towards his abode.

Amitie rapped her knuckles on his door, calling, "Oshare, are you home? It's me! Amitie!"

A delighted cry resounded from within the shop. The door ripped open, and there stood Oshare Bones, a pink, linen dress in his hand. His bright grin gleamed, but it faded once he noticed Raffina.

"Hello, Amitie. It seems you brought..." Oshare took in a breath. "...my least favorite customer. How totally dreadful."

Amitie shifted her gaze between Oshare and Raffina as she entered the store, finding both of them glowering at each other and asked, "Uh, what's up now?"

"Well, this petty skeleton couldn't handle my criticism about his most recent fashion line and banned me from his store." Raffina brushed lint of her shoulder, smirking at the collection of Oshare's designer shorts resting on a nearby table.

"I wouldn't accept your criticism because you had nothing good to say! It was all, 'this is bad' or 'this is bland.' You never mentioned anything about the designs, the colors, the fabric, or anything useful," Oshare spat, waving at the door. "So, make like trash, and throw yourself out, you little toad."

Raffina clenched her fists and stomped towards the skeleton. "Do you wanna Puyo battle me? Is that it? The winner of this match will-!"

"Oh, um, hey, I have a question!" Amitie shot her hand into the air, and Oshare relaxed, turning to her with a sigh. Scratching her neck, Amitie asked, "So, we heard a rumor about the Witch of Nahe, and since you live here, we were wondering if you knew anything about her. Whatever you can tell us will really help."

As if her question was the catalyst of destruction, Oshare deflated. His bombastic personality dropped along with the dress he was holding. It crumbled to the floor, wrinkling, and the metal coat hanger clattered, sounding like a bomb to Amitie.

The rare seriousness he possessed startled the girls. They exchanged a wary glance, unsure of how to proceed until Oshare cleared his throat. He quickly snatched the dress and smoothed it between his bony fingers. Setting it aside on a nearby counter, Oshare raised his shoulders, took in a breath, and seemed ready to collapse.

"You two are really investigating the witch? I wouldn't recommend that," he said, graveness tinting his voice, but he broke into a sudden smile. "And with that out of the way, dear Amitie, I have this dress right here that would look grand on you! It's-"

"Not so fast, buster!" Amitie proclaimed, her grin cemented on her face. "Do you know about the witch?"

He sucked down a breath, glancing away. His behavior made Raffina's eyebrow raise, and she smirked, cocking out her hip.

"He most certainly does. If he's acting this suspicious, then there's no reason to doubt he doesn't," she retorted, laughing victoriously with the back of her hand pressed to her chin.

"You two are just going to badger me until I spill the beans, aren't you?" Oshare folded the dress over his arm, appearing like a regal butler. He tapped his foot, seemingly deep in thought only to sigh. "Fine, fine. If you two are just going to heckle me, then I'll talk."

"Goody!" Amitie rung her hands together, blind to the hesitation in his voice. "Do you know the witch's name? What's she like? Have you met her personally?"

"Too many questions, sweet pea, and for the record, I have met her."

Raffina set her hand to her elbow and touched her cheek with her other hand, asking, "How? What was the meeting like?"

Oshare peered at the floorboards, replying, "It must have been at least three years ago around the time I set up shop. I was closing up, but when I went to shut the door, a hand suddenly sprung out and grabbed the door." He shuddered. "I thought I was being assaulted, but when I saw her, she appeared so frail that I had no choice to not let her inside. It'd be cruel if I didn't."

Raffina smirked. "A frail witch? Well, this is disappointing."

"I made her some dinner, and she asked if I could get the stain out of some cloth." Oshare hummed, tapping his finger to his skull. "I can't exactly remember what it was, but the fabric felt so worn down that I feared if I ran it under water, then the whole thing would come to pieces."

"Did she say anything specific?" Amitie asked, tilting her head.

"She mentioned that the cloth was given to her by a friend, one she hadn't seen in a very long time." Oshare lowered his voice. "A friend who was dead for several centuries."

Amitie gasped, her hands shooting over her mouth. Raffina furrowed her brow, her grip on her elbow becoming tight. They waited for Oshare to continue, but he shook his head and sniffled. Amitie was confused; she didn't realize he could produce tears.

"Oh, dear, she was such a sorrowful girl. She looked like she was just barely older than you two, but she suffered so tremendously." Oshare crossed his arms. "She was so thankful when I got the dirt of her cloth, and she even gave me some strange coins."

"Do you still have the coins?" Raffina asked.

Oshare nodded, heading over to his cash register and commenting he kept them safe. He opened it, the loud ringing echoing in the otherwise silent shop. He fished around among a few bills before collecting three rusted coins, each containing slivers of copper and gold etched into them. Amitie marveled over them, extending her hand, and Oshare deposited the coins onto her palm. The rust trickled on her fingers, but she paid it no mind. She smoothed her thumb against the coarse texture, ignoring Raffina grumbling in disgust. Amitie could make out faded markings, indicative of a language that was lost to time.

As Oshare offered her hand towel, Amitie thanked him and returned the coins. Cleaning her hand, she felt a wave of somberness wash over her. She stared at the remnants of rust between her fingers, watching them faintly glimmer under the fluorescent lights.

If the witch had held onto the coins for hundreds of years, Amitie assumed the witch's homeland no longer existed. The language and currency seemed to belong to another time, one Amitie could not imagine. She pursed her lips, trying to shake off her sadness, but Raffina spoke up, cutting through her thoughts with a knife.

"Hold on. We don't know if you even saw the Witch of Nahe. Is there anything provable that you can discuss with us?" Raffina interjected, her expression firm as Amitie gasped.

"But Raffina, he has no reason to make this up," she replied, and Oshare grumbled.

"Well, as much as I love gossip, I'm not keen on revealing her whole life story," Oshare remarked, but under the oppressive heaviness of Raffina's snarl, he choked up and sputtered, "b-but I guess I can!"

Raffina smiled, all traces of wickedness vanishing. "Thank you. I appreciate your cooperation."

As Amitie huffed at her, Oshare set the dress back onto one of the several racks within the store. He smoothed down his coat, saying, "Now, I also heard the rumors, too, about the sorceress who ran around and pounded on doors. I flat out asked her if she was the Witch of Nahe when I made her dinner, and she had the gall to giggle at me. She said, 'Is that what everyone's saying about me? I was nothing but a waste of space at my school, but having people say that about me is kind of charming.'"

"Wow! That means it's gotta be her, right?" Amitie asked, jerking her attention to Raffina, who frowned, her attention elsewhere.

"She was so totally down on herself that I felt like she was gonna start crying, and guess what? She did. Like the legends say, she cried and cried about her loved ones, all whom were dead and gone." Oshare shut the cash register and then tossed away the cloth he gave to Amitie in a nearby bin. "It was sad, pitiful really, to see her in such a state. I tried to offer her clothes, but she refused. Even though I kept insisting, she said she had to wear her rather ratty outfit."

Amitie stirred, apprehension tickling her stomach. "Why? Your clothes are so nice."

Oshare looked at her, his expression more melancholy than Amitie had ever seen from him. "Because she said it was the only thing she had left to remind her of where she came from."

Raffina raised her eyebrows, murmuring, "That's...tragic. I guess that really explains the legend well. If she lost everything, then it makes perfect sense on why she seems like such a crybaby."

"Yeah, that's really, really awful. I can't even imagine it." Amitie's eyes welled up with tears blurring her vision, and Raffina offered her a handkerchief from her pocket. Quickly wiping her eyes, she thanked Raffina.

"Now, I don't know if the witch is still around, but you shouldn't go looking for her. The other half of those rumors say she's violent when angered, you know," Oshare said, and he swept his arm at his array of clothing. "Instead, let's dress you up, Amitie! I've got the latest and stylish dresses made custom for you."

"Sorry, Oshare, but I really have to meet the witch now, and I promise that I'll definitely come back tomorrow!" Amitie exclaimed, bouncing in place, her hat wobbling as she jumped. "Maybe Raffina and I can talk to her, and we can bring the witch out of her funk. She sounds like she could use some new friends after so many years of loneliness, right, Raffina?"

"Well, I still want to battle her regardless of what she told Oshare. She may claim that she isn't as good as the rumors make her out to be, but that could just be self-deprecation," Raffina replied, "and ladies shouldn't demean themselves under any conditions! They should be bold and resolute while also maintaining their feminine charms. Oh, la ti da!"

"Like you have any charms," Oshare sneered as Raffina chortled.

"If I wasn't in such a good mood, then I'd really teach you some manners," she snapped, and she pivoted, ordering Amitie to follow her.

As Raffina pushed open the door, Amitie waved goodbye to Oshare. He called out for Amitie to be safe, and she grinned, shutting the door behind her. Oshare lowered his hand to his chest, wishing he could just whistle away all his worries. Settling with a sigh, Oshare went back to organizing his dresses.

She wasn't supposed to come back. She was supposed to remained trapped in the void in-between the remnants of their universe all for the sole protection of the harmony he created.

As Amitie and Raffina learned about the witch from Tarutaru, Satan flew through dimensions. The black hole he was warping through felt like it was taking far too long, but he had to be patient. He already learned such a virtue during his process of remaking everything as he needed to maintain equilibrium and harmony in a world of inhabitants who never questioned their past.

Violets and grays shot by him. Flashes of colors burned like supernovas and exploded in a final blast before burning out of existence. He saw glimpses of other worlds in mirrored fragments with strange creatures and solemn environments. Worlds torn apart by war passed his vision while he caught sight of places of love and unity.

He wished he could have touched those worlds, transforming his playground into one of those kinder places, but he had his silent duty. Everything needed to remain the same. If even one little detail was out of place, his entire universe could collapse underneath his feet, sending him spiraling into an endless void, one he was certain she faced every waking moment of her life until Ecolo rescued her.

He remembered welcoming the doppelganger to his world out of his pity. His mistake had caused her mind and heart to shatter, and he was surprised to find she was even still alive. Although she was the original Arle, or at least part of the original, she was not the right one for his world. If she arrived, speaking of the truth, he knew everything would end in an instant.

Satan could already hear the screaming of his world's people. In his internal scenario, he imagined their denial as the doppelganger took pleasure in ripping them to shreds, especially lapping up Arle's distress like a fine wine. Arle was like a delicious meal that the doppelganger would rip her teeth into and savor each taste of Arle's despair.

He had already lost everything once. He was not willing to let it all slip through his fingers like grains of sand again. Even if it was part of his fabrication, they were all the same. He ensured they all remained the way as they lived before. Maybe he had enhanced some bits of their personalities by mistake such as Rulue's obsessiveness or Draco's gullibility, but they were still the ones he had come to know.

"Hey, hey, Satan, come on! You're going way too fast!"

Satan sighed, his wings flapping as he continued pushing forward. He had no time for Ecolo's whining. They already troubled him enough by allowing the doppelganger a chance to invade his world.

"Hey, Edgy Prince! Cool your jets! I just wanna talk! Am I really so annoying that you'd just ignore little old me? The most innocent and happiest space-time traveler?"

Telling himself to ignore Ecolo, Satan continued flying only for his leg to suddenly be yanked. A harsh yelp split through his fangs, and he nearly toppled into another world. His wings rapidly fluttered, keeping him afloat as Ecolo clung to his leg.

Beaming up at Satan, Ecolo asked, "So, what's your big scheme?"

"Release me or face a world of pain, little..." Satan paused. "...blob."

"I prefer gremlin since blob implies I'm super big and fat," Ecolo replied, releasing Satan and floating next to him.

Satan flipped his hair out of his eyes, the whipping pull of gravity tugging them towards Ringo's world. Lying on his side as the vortex took control of their bodies, Satan replied, "I'm going to handle this matter once and for all. Stay out of my way, but be reassured that I will not be going after the denizens of your favorite world."

"Well, how kind of you!" Ecolo gushed, the corners of their lips turning upwards in a sickening grin.

Satan narrowed his eyes, murmuring, "You're planning something of your own, aren't you? You've possessed Arle in the past and nearly drowned the world of Suzuran in Puyos. What is your game in all this?"

Ecolo shrugged, casting a glance at a fragment containing the world of Primp Town. As Amitie and Raffina exclaimed they would seek the witch, they grinned and replied, "Just boredom."

"There's more to it. I'm not blind." Satan raised his hand, ebony energy gathering in cloudy wisps between his fingertips.

Yawning, Ecolo waved off Satan's concerns. "I just wanna watch. Besides, I didn't know what you did until Stingy Armor told me." At Satan's bewildered look, they added, "It's a nickname for the other Arle. Was that too hard to figure out, dumb-dumb?"

A flare of indignation flashed in Satan's eyes, but he turned his attention to the end of the portal. Swarming white and blue filled his gaze before the soft sensation of leaves tickled his cheeks. Blinking, Satan experimentally tapped the ground and discovered he was in a tree. Gripping the worn bark, Satan peered down and noted he was in a forest on the outskirts of Suzuran.

"Where is she?" Satan demanded, glaring at Ecolo who hovered next to him.

"Well, I left her with Ringo, but that was about a day ago," Ecolo replied, and Satan's eyes widened.

"You-! A day ago? She could've left! She might already be in my world!" Satan sputtered, the temptation to strangle Ecolo storming across his mind.

"Well, you better get to searching, big guy!" Ecolo sneered, rounding above Satan's head. "If I know Ringo, then I bet she wouldn't just let Stingy Armor go so easily. Let's start looking!"

From his time with Ringo, Satan knew she was a precocious girl. She was intelligent and reasonable, possibly having the skills of a word sleuth to keep the doppelganger at bay. Nodding, Satan decided it was worth it to at least investigate Suzuran before rushing back to his world.

As Satan flew ahead of them, Ecolo grinned. Everything was going as they predicted.


	5. In-Between Magic

(Please know due to formatting issues, Maguro's star quirk will be added in a later update.)

In-Between Magic

Arle was reminded of her childhood as she gazed at Ringo. Bright and starry-eyed, Ringo balanced on her heels as Arle inspected the quiet stretch of forest. Arle pretended to note the trickling scent of honeysuckle and pine, but she was curiously glancing over her shoulder at Ringo, who babbled to Maguro and Risukuma about honing her mathematical magic.

It almost felt like Arle was back in magic school. The noisy, overcrowded Suzuran Middle School was not the place for her, but being a teacher for budding magicians, each with a unique magical style, fascinated Arle. With the forest as their learning ground, it was as if Arle had gone back home.

"So, teach, what's the first thing we gotta learn?" Maguro asked, idly playing with his kendama.

"From what I understand, your magic is based only on Puyo battling, right?" Arle asked, receiving nods from her students. "Well, have any of you attempted magic at all? Conjuring a little fireball? Sparking a tiny lightning bolt?"

"Well, no. That's not something any of us would have ever considered in our world," Risukuma explained, crossing his arms.

Arle frowned. Summoning a fireball was some of the most basic magic. She had learned that spell when she was with the fairies as a four-year-old. Tapping her foot, Arle hummed and wondered how to proceed.

"Could you show us an example? I've never really seen the other Arle use magic without Puyos," Ringo asked, raising her hand.

Arle's mouth fell open. Her eyebrows reached her hairline, but before she could verbalize her shock, she shook her head. It seemed the other Arle was slacking in her magic studies, something she would never do. It was almost as if her other self just wanted to fool around for all eternity.

"An example. Got it," she said, cupping her hands near her chest and curling her fingers towards sky. Approaching the trio, she beckoned them to come forward.

They gathered around her, inspecting her open palms. The wind stirred around them as if building anticipation, but Ringo merely tilted her head when nothing happened. Ringo expected something grand like fireworks bursting out of her fingertips. Instead of commenting, she watched, studious as always.

Arle thought of red hot fire and inhaled the smoke, and low and behold, fire appeared. In her hand was a shifting fireball the size of a baseball. It crackled and faintly blew in the wind, and Arle tossed it in the air, extending her pointer finger to catch it. Like a basketball player spinning her ball, Arle twirled it, trickling smoke wafting around them.

Arle explained, "Magic is like a thought. If you think it, then it can appear, but it requires an understanding of their composition. For elemental magic like fire, you must understand what fire is made up of. Such as-"

"When gases get too hot, their compound molecules break apart. Atoms then combine with oxygen in order to make water and carbon dioxide among other products," Ringo interjected, satisfied until Arle's lips spread out into a thin, befuddled line. "What? They burn. Plain and simple."

Arle slowly shook her head, saying, "No, geek. That might be the scientific way, but that is not the magical way."

Maguro chuckled. "She got you there, Ringo."

Elbowing Maguro, the flushed Ringo replied, "But then how is that possible? It doesn't make logical sense."

Arle snapped her fingers, dispersing the fire. Reaching forward, she flicked Ringo's brow, and as the other girl yelped, she said, "And that's exactly why you haven't understood magic. In fact, that's probably why this world hasn't been able to utilize magic."

"Because we're scientific?" Risukuma asked as Ringo rubbed her forehead, scowling at her teacher.

"Science is also an art. You break apart compounds and create newness out of it. That's, in a way, magic, too," Arle said, closing her eyes and spreading her hands apart. Ice formed between the slits of her fingers, traveling along her arms and forming long blades. She immersed herself in its chill and surrounded herself in an arctic world. "For me, I think of what exactly is ice. The freezing, smooth texture, the hardness or softness of every crystal if I decide to make snow. Then, I bend the world a little with my will."

"Your will?" Ringo asked, her anger vanishing.

"That's right. Magic is composed of the power of someone's will whether it's a desire to become a great magician or someone who can simply bend the world to their whims," Arle said, and she shot her hands up to the sky, the blades striking upwards. Clapping her hands, the blades exploded into snow, soft crystals dancing as they descended upon the baffled students.

Maguro reached up and caught a few snowflakes. He watched them melt right away, their intricate designs becoming nothing but water. Wiping his hand on his jacket, he shouted, "So, all of that right now was completely magic? That's incredible!"

Arle chuckled. "I'm glad you agree, but I think you three need a little familiar practice before delving into a really magical experience."

"Ah, the Super Moves, correct?" Risukuma asked, the memory of his battle with Arle making his head hum.

"That's right. You all looked completely shocked when I used Void Hole, but for me, it's natural," Arle informed, and she pointed at Ringo and Maguro. "So, I'd like for you two to have a practice Puyo battle. Play like normal until I say otherwise."

Ringo and Maguro nodded, each eager to learn about Super Moves. Stepping away from each other, the playing field opened as they shouted for a Puyo battle to begin. The heavens ripped open, and from the vortex came multi-colored Puyos descending upon their world. Ringo squinted, calculating each perfect chain length as she guided red Puyos along the left side of her field. She noted Maguro was stacking his Puyos erratically, creating a few shorter chains to send Nuisance Puyos to her side.

"Swing In!" Maguro shouted, flipping his kendama about, and Ringo smirked as the Nuisance Puyos appeared on her side, having a chain long enough to counter.

"Cosign!" Ringo barked, lightning sparking from her hands over Maguro's head. Her Puyos fell into place and popped, refuting Maguro's attack. Seeing Maguro grimace, she knew his shorter combinations would-

"Void Hole!"

Ringo gasped, her eyes widening as a black hole appeared just underneath the Nuisance Puyos that were about to fall on Maguro's field. To her bewilderment, two more vortexes appeared underneath the incoming Puyos on both of their boards. She watched the eyes of Puyo widen before their blobby forms were consumed by darkness.

Arle lowered her hand, stepping between the combatants. She looked over at Ringo, smiling, but then she turned her gaze to Maguro, who merely scratched his head.

"Maguro, this is a potential time to use a Super Move," she said, flicking her gaze up to the black holes she created.

"It is? How?" he wondered, idly playing with his kendama.

"All Super Moves are different. My Void Hole can halt Nuisance Puyos from falling, but it isn't inevitable. If I don't create a stronger chain, then I can't destroy them or send them back with more of them stacked. They'll crash on me if I don't come up with a plan," Arle explained, and she waved her hand, dismissing one of the black holes. As the Nuisance Puyos threatened to plummet on Maguro, she asked, "Now, what should you do? You have two options with one being to use a stronger chain, which you don't have, or use a Super Move."

"But how would he use it?" Risukuma wondered, a notepad in his hand as he wrote down Arle's instructions.

She shrugged, and Maguro uttered a confused cry. "That's not up to me. Like I said, all Super Moves are unique to their user, but Maguro has just used magic to send over a chain. From what I observed, he channels his magic into his kendama." Pointing at his kendama, she grinned. "That device allows you to send over your attacks, right? Try it again."

"But he has to sacrifice Puyos, doesn't he?" Ringo asked, a touch irritated that her battle had been interrupted.

"Super Moves can be used three times in a match." Arle sighed, shaking her head. "I guess the other me really didn't tell you guys anything. How disappointing."

Maguro hummed, bringing his kendama to eye level. If he couldn't come up with a solution, he was going to get smashed with Nuisance Puyos. He tilted his kendama, watching the ball fall onto the base cup. He pursed his lips, tricks filling his head, but he couldn't think of anything. He knew too many tricks without the knowledge of how to transfer it to magic.

"For starters," Arle said, "you know that you're about to be attacked. Since this is a Puyo battle and anyone involved can use magic, shouldn't you will yourself to use magic as well? You've already been doing it, so turn an idea into magic."

Maguro stared at her, a reply on his tongue. He had seen her create fire and ice out of nothing, but he was just a simple boy. Magic was still relatively new to him, but he was not entirely without his abilities. With his kendama to channel his power, he was a fine magician of Puyo battles.

All he needed to do was think of a trick to channel his magic, and when it hit him, he gasped. His eyes widened behind his bangs, and noticing his amusement, Arle waved away her Void Holes. Stepping out of the playing field, she smirked as Maguro bent his knees.

He flipped his kendama into a large circle with the ball never leaving the base cup. Following it with another spin, he caught the ball on the base cup once more, and his kendama flared, magic emitting from the ball.

"Zero Gravity!" he shouted, and Ringo's mouth flopped open.

Her blue and purple Puyos rose, manipulated by gravity. Puyos were suddenly swapping all over the place. They squished into greens and yellows, destroying her budding combinations. They were as bad as Nuisance Puyos, being there when she simply did not need them.

"Sidewinder!" Maguro shouted, performing the trick, and with Ringo distracted by her unsettling Puyos, he sent over another wave of Nuisance Puyos, effectively destroying her chance at victory.

Yelping, Ringo waved her fingers and tried to think of any way to salvage her combinations. Her board looked like an absolutely mess, a chaotic array of colors torturing her eyes. At Arle's smile, she knew it was her turn to come up with a Super Move, but in her confusion, the Nuisance Puyos crushed her. The Nuisance Puyos slammed down on her skull as they filled up her board, and she collapsed, her chin hitting the ground. Hearing Arle clap for Maguro was the icing on a burnt cake, leaving her with a nauseous pit in her stomach.

"That was tight!" Maguro gushed, punching the air, and Risukuma grinned, finishing his notes.

"Incredible work, Maguro. I wrote down lots of valuable information, because of that match," Risukuma remarked, and Arle nodded.

"That was good. With more training, you could use your kendama in real magic duels," she said, and as Maguro snickered, she went over to Ringo, who brushed off the Nuisance Puyos covering her. "As for you, that wasn't bad, but I know why you couldn't perform a Super Move in that clutching time."

"Is it because my Puyos were suddenly rearranged?" Ringo grumbled, the boards and Puyos vanishing.

Arle smirked, hands on her hips. "Well, yeah. That's really it. You became flustered and didn't know what to do, but that's expected with Super Moves. They're all different. Even I can't predict what kind of attack a Super Move will be used on me. For Maguro to manipulate your blue and purple Puyos, well, that was just his brand of magic."

Ringo nodded, her somberness trailing off into appreciation. Maguro had defeated her fair and square, and she allowed uncertainty to infiltrate her concentration. Congratulating Maguro, she rolled her eyes as he kissed his kendama, gushing over his techniques.

Still, she was left with the urge to learn. Super Moves were decisive in Puyo battles, but before she could vocalize her interest, Risukuma gasped.

"My jellies! I left them at school!" he shrieked, grasping his ears, his notepad falling onto the grass. He snatched Arle's hand, frenetically shaking it. "I have to go now, but thank you for your valuable lesson!"

Watching Risukuma dash off as Arle blinked, Maguro chuckled and said, "I think I'll go after him. Make sure he doesn't hurt anyone, yeah? Anyway, see you two later. Thanks for the Super Move training, Arle."

Waving as Maguro rushed after Risukuma, Arle was alone with Ringo in the quiet forest. The faint scent of honeysuckle and pine wafted around her once more, and she heard Ringo sigh. Turning her attention to Ringo, she asked what was wrong.

"That was really impressive. You know, what Maguro did. He's been on a bit of a losing streak with Puyo battles lately, so that probably boosted his confidence," Ringo said, a tired smile splitting on her lips, but it was quickly erased with brightness illuminating her expression. She snatched Arle's hands, bringing herself closer to her bemused teacher, "but I'm gonna win the next one for sure! Can we have a Puyo battle so I can try to use a Super Move?"

"Firsthand experience is always the best way to teach," Arle said, nodding, "so, of course. I'll gladly give you a match."

"Fa~bu~lous!" Ringo sang, tossing her hands up above her head.

"After I remove the bastard watching us."

The sudden curse word dragged Ringo out of her happy stupor. She uttered a confused thrum, watching Arle whip her head over her shoulder. All Ringo could do was gaze on as a flurry of events happened before her eyes.

Firstly, Arle vanished in a cloak of darkness, in what Ringo assumed was a modified Void Hole. Secondly, Ringo watched as Arle appeared in a tree several yards away from them, her hand curled around Satan's throat. Finally, she saw Ecolo laugh and hold their belly as the combatants glowered at each other.

"Wow! Stingy Armor, you were quick! You were like supersonic just now! Are you gonna turn gold by any chance?" Ecolo asked, and when they saw Ringo gawking, they shot over to her, shouting, "Ringo! It was so funny watching you get smooshed by Puyos! Kinda reminds me of how we first met. All I wanted to do was bury your world in Puyos, but seeing you under all that heavy weight was kinda like that!"

"E-Ecolo? Ecolo!" Ringo blurted, shaking her head as Ecolo hovered in front of her.

"That's me! Don't wear my name out," Ecolo teased, flicking her forehead.

Smacking their hand away, she wanted to retort only for Satan to be thrown past her in a mess of tangled limbs and clothing. She gasped, hobbling forward, and Ecolo steadied her, but the clammy sensation of their hands on her shoulder sent a chill down their spine. Shoving them away, she furrowed her brow as Satan calmly stood up, brushing off dirt from his cloak.

"Hello, Ringo. It's been a few weeks since we've last spoken," Satan remarked, and Arle lunged down from the tree, her back hunched.

Ringo swallowed, unsure of how to continue. If a reply proper then she had no idea. Jerking her head over to Arle, she paled. Even if she was not an ideal magic user, she could sense bloodlust emitting from Arle, and copper reached her nostrils, making her want to gag.

Arle narrowed her gaze. She coolly looked among the trio before settling her glare on Satan, saying, "You saved me a lot of trouble."

"I take it you really were going to cause trouble for my Arle, doppelganger," Satan mused, and Arle grit her teeth.

"I'm the real Arle. You know that girl is nothing but a replica!"

Steeling himself at her harsh tone, Satan shook his head. "No. She's more like the real Arle than you will ever be. The real Arle would never act like you."

Arle felt like her molars were about to ground into dust by the sheer pressure she exuded on them. Her knuckles pressed against her skin, and all she could feel was hatred. The despair and malice she felt in the void of nothingness chomped her, biting into her and tearing off whatever flesh could be found.

"What do you plan on doing? Brainwashing me again? As if that worked out," Satan replied, checking his nails, and he smirked as if he was dealing with a petulant child. "Oh, will we Puyo battle? That also worked very nicely last time."

"Shut up! Shut your disgusting mouth! I'm going to end it," Arle seethed, fiery sparks brewing at her fingertips.

"A-Arle, stop! You can't-!" Ringo blurted, but Ecolo slapped their hand over her mouth. Flustered, she snatched Ecolo's wrist, but their strength overpowered her.

Arle scowled, "So, Saliva Mouth, I take it you told Satan about what happened between you and I."

"Yep! Guilty as charged!" Ecolo laughed, sitting on Ringo's shoulders and kept their hands over her mouth. While Ringo struggled, they bobbed their head back and forth. "Go on! Have at it! I wanna see a real show!"

"This was all for the sake of them being amused," Satan snapped, glaring at them.

Ecolo winked. "Hey, don't knock me until you try me, big boy. It's all in good fun."

Prying their hands off her mouth, Ringo gasped and regained color to her cheeks. She tried pushing Ecolo, but they zipped off, floating by Arle. She shouted at them to leave Arle alone, but Ecolo clicked their tongue against the roof of their mouth.

"Aw, look what we have here, Arle. We have the guy who imprisoned you for five hundred years. What a cruel, salacious guy, right? Being able to live in the lap of luxury while you suffer?" Ecolo crooned, resting their elbow on her armor, her shoulder tensing. They played with a few tresses of her hair. "I'm on your side, Arle. I really think this guy needs some punishment, and shouldn't the victim dish it out?" Their voice lowered, and they leaned closer to her ear. "Let him have it. It's what he deserves, and you and I both agree-"

Her hand moved faster than their lips. Arle clutched Ecolo's face, holding them away and digging her nails into their face. Faint blue liquid bubbled on their skin as she pierced their temples and cheeks. As Ecolo yipped and kicked their legs, Arle plunged Ecolo into the ground, their body becoming one with the earth.

It felt like a small tremor went off as Ringo lost her balance, but Satan steadied her. He glanced down at the shivering girl, knowing she had been dragged into the battle. Satan sighed, watching Ecolo writhe on the ground and the doppelganger pant through her frustration.

"We can settle this in two ways," Satan said, "the easy way or the hard way."

Arle's neck bent at an odd angle, and she licked her lips as they formed a smirk. "I think you already know the way I want, you pathetic excuse for a god. I've already taken down one god, so defeating another like you should be a piece a cake."

Satan closed his eyes. He sighed. The outcome of the battle was obvious to him, but she would never see it. Her perspective was closed. She only sought revenge against him and the world he created.

Satan flexed his fingers and opened his eyes, welcoming her challenge as Ringo looked on, a powerless girl in the midst of gods.

"You disgusting-! You irritable-! I will end you!"

Raffina's shrill voice echoed as Amitie groaned. Amitie looked on as Raffina kicked Gogotte into a tree, his fallen pot spilling out the sloppy contents of his soup. She noticed mushy mushrooms clinging to the bottom of the pan, and she shook her head, the intrusive notion of how disgusting the soup's taste would be attacking her thoughts.

Gogotte yelped as Raffina continued ramming her heel into his side. "Stop! Hurts, it does!"

"Well, you shouldn't have been so-so-so obscene! Pulling that pan out of your...our of your-!" Raffina threw her hands up, grunting and jumping away from Gogotte. She leaped back over to Amitie, her fists clenching at her sides. "Now, let's get back to business, please."

Gogotte groaned, fixing his cap and scrambling for his soup. He wanted to refuse, but he feared the power of Raffina's kicks. Rubbing his stomach, he grumbled, "You win, you win. Was going to share, but I'll take it back. You aren't worthy of my soup."

"We really didn't want it. It's been in your..." Amitie pointed at Gogotte's pants.

"Amitie!" Raffina shouted, covering the other girl's mouth. "Don't give that creep any ideas."

Amitie shrugged, and Raffina released her. Clearing her throat, Amitie asked, "So, before you tried giving us that soup, you said you met with the Witch of Nahe at her doorstep. Do you know where it is?"

"I do, I do!" Gogotte nodded, his grin stretching. He reached into his pants, and Raffina shrieked at him to stop, but he pulled out another pot. From his bag, he tossed in pieces of lemon and rosemary. He shook his pot, the faintly brown concoction swirling and spilling out. "Was a real looker! Pretty, blonde, but oh so very sad. Offered her my soup, I did, but she refused. Said she only wanted home. Hunger meant nothing, absolutely nothing, to her. So thin, so sad, so very raggedy in her clothes."

"Where is her home?" Amitie asked again, sadness etched into her heart as Gogotte spoke.

Gogotte hummed, dipping his thumb into the soup. Slurping it, he grinned at the sour taste and replied, "Far away. Right in the center of the woods, and yet, deeper and deeper and deeper still. Want some soup?"

"For the last time, no, we do not," Raffina deadpanned, shaking her head. Grabbing Amitie's hand, she dragged her past Gogotte, snapping. "Thank you for your terrible assistance. We will never contact you again."

"Thanks for trying to help, but maybe keep your soups somewhere else!" Amitie offered, hurrying off with Raffina on another path filled with rocks and grass.

Raffina groaned, hearing Gogotte call for them to return any time. She shuddered, rubbing her stomach and mumbling that was she was a bit hungry. She knew she should have eaten something before running off on a wild goose chase, but she wanted to prove Tarutaru either wrong or that she could best the allegedly powerful Witch of Nahe.

Amitie sighed, peering up at the gnarled trees. They had gone quite a distance into the Woods of Nahe. Shadows crossed over them, covering them from any sunlight. The trees meshed together, forming a barrier from the rest of the world. The scent of pine entranced her as they went deeper, filling her with hope that were coming closer to the witch's home.

In silence, they continued their search for what felt like hours. Their feet ached, dragging themselves forward until they could no longer recognize fantasy from reality. Raffina thought she saw Yu and Rei dancing among the thick roots, and Amitie believed she spotted Sig chasing butterflies, but they were nothing but tricks their minds played upon them.

"We should go back," Amitie mumbled, pinkness fading from her cheeks.

"Just a little more. We have to find this stupid witch," Raffina grumbled, "just so I can teach her a lesson about having a home in the middle of a forest without any markings or indications of where she might be."

Amitie yawned, feeling like she could have fallen asleep. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she heard Raffina stifle a yawn as well. She wanted to immerse herself under her comforters, the cotton feeling of her pillow caressing her cheeks. Rolling around, wrapping blankets around her body, and then drifting off into a peaceful dreamland would have been the greatest pleasure after a long trek in the woods.

Still, it was an unnatural sensation. It was sudden, hitting her like a wave of nausea. Her head hummed, demanding rest and tickled her legs. A sigh heaved from her throat, prompting Raffina to stop and rub her eyes.

They looked at each other, the unspoken idea of wanting to return home passing between them. Raffina and Amitie faced the forest before them, the woods gnarled and demented. Darkness crossing over the path, they could not make out what lied before them. Amitie swallowed, her eyes aching and ordering rest. She tried to step forward, but slumber pulled her backwards, tempting her body to turn away from her quest. Raffina hunched, a rare moment of inelegance contaminating her as her own feet betrayed her. She began to amble away. As another yawn left Raffina, Amitie snatched her hand, getting dragged along by Raffina's stronger pull.

"H-hey, Raffina! We can't...we can't..." Amitie groaned, squeezing her eyes shut.

\

"I wanna go home. I need to sleep right now," Raffina mumbled as if in a trance, her voice monotone.

Reminded of Raffina's brainwashed stint when the worlds nearly meshed together, Amitie wrenched her eyes open and forced herself to stare over her shoulder. The foreboding forest faced them, and with all her might, she began to yank Raffina off her feet. She trudged through dead grass and sharp stones, her muscles tense and sore with each step. It was like she was lugging dead weight, causing each step to be excruciating as her body wailed upon her soul, crying out for sleep.

Yet, Amitie felt like she was so close. She couldn't turn back to Primp Town empty-handed or without a story to tell. Returning home would mean she admitted defeat to the unknown witch, who probably cackled at their expensive.

As Raffina groaned behind her, Amitie wondered why she was so sleepy. Each footstep felt like she could have fallen over into a nightmarish rest, plagued with terrible illusions as she slept. Her mind and body beat at her soul, craving defeat and a warm bed, but Amitie pressed against blackened nature.

"A spell," Raffina crooned, her voice as audible as a pained whisper, "Someone is putting a spell on us."

"D-do you think it's the witch?" Amitie murmured, and Raffina nodded, each breath labored. She wrapped Raffina's arm over her shoulder, forcing herself to match Raffina's longer strides.

"Absolutely. This magic is strong." Raffina's eyes rolled, threatening to fall into her skull and show her fully white sclera.

Their eyes grew red and puffy, veins appearing like cracked glass. Gasps became their normal breaths. Their heavy bodies pressed together, supporting one another as they walked. Sweat stained their brows as their natural color was stripped. Amitie felt like if she even blinked, then she would fall asleep, so Raffina kept her fingers pinched to Amitie's neck.

"A little more, just a little more," Amitie said, voice hoarse and eyes blurring.

Everything meshed together. The browns and greens of the trees painted their vision with indistinguishable hues. No trace of sunlight remained, and they could not tell if it was day or night. Mosquitoes threatened their bodies, buzzing incessantly and matching the droning hum of their minds.

They weathered through, urging each other to keep moving. Even as tears streaked down their cheeks and their bodies ached for rest, they moved. Gravity was their enemy, coaxing them to collapse, but they rebelled. No witch or cruel spell would deter them from finding out the truth.

Then, at the end of their arduous journey was a hut. They froze, suddenly wide awake and electrified, but all they could do was stare. The rotten wood, devoured by insects and critters, served as the flimsy cottage's walls. Leaves in yellows, greens, and reds were the colorful roof. The knotted roots bolted the abode into the earth, the soil surrounding it a faint tan tint.

However, bones tormented them. Yellow husks of ribs and marrow appeared like clubs. They served as a doormat, lampooning merriment and cheer of a host welcoming their guests. Whether they were human or animal bones, the girls did not want to question it.

"So, not even my best spell, Ongoku, could stop you?"

The voice, hollow and cold, echoed from the bowels of the home. Raffina ripped her head up, a gasp splitting through her teeth. Amitie clung to her, burying her head against her shoulder.

"Come in, come in. It's been too long since I've had guests. Please, won't you come in?"

They approached. The door was made of silver, clashing with the grotesque appearance of the hut. Exchanging a glance with Amitie who nodded, Raffina turned the jiggling knob, and they entered.

No light pierced through the hut as the door opened. Raffina and Amitie entered, and the door slammed shut behind them. Amitie yelped, gripping the doorknob, but it refused to budge. Raffina grit her teeth, glowering at the one who trapped them. Amitie turned as well, biting her fingernails and faced the legend.

There, sitting on top of an oak table riddled with splinters, with nothingness as her companion, in tattered red garbs and flowing hair that reached her ankles, was the Witch of Nahe.


	6. In-Between Truth

I'll add Maguro's star quirk in a later update because my computer isn't letting them show up.

In-Between Truth

Ringo watched Satan gather himself, his eyes unreadable. He seemed to be surveying the forest, his expression perfectly neutral. The wind bristled around them as Arle stomped towards them, her fists clenched. Satan inclined his head towards her before dropping his attention to Ecolo, who slowly rose to their feet.

Ringo took slow, shallow breaths. She gripped the fabric of her school uniform and glanced between the unstoppable duo, her heart feeling like it would leap into her throat and out of her mouth. Sweat dampened her brow even though the sun was shielded by the clouds. She hadn't realized she was shaking until she acknowledged the odd chattering pounding in her ears was her teeth grinding together.

"Your motive," Arle demanded, leering down at Ecolo. "Tell me your motive."

Ecolo sighed, rubbing their head. "You didn't hafta wallop me like that! I might be soft, but I'm really not impervious to a pounding."

"Ecolo," Satan began, his voice like ice, "your reasoning. Now."

They sighed, floating above Arle's head. They had the nerve to wrap their arms behind their head. Humming, they rested on their side. "Eh, I don't wanna tell you now. It'll ruin the big surprise at the end."

"Ecolo, are you serious? Don't you realize what's going on?" Ringo snapped, throwing her hands out.

"Oh, Ringo! I guess normal humans think this is just so scary, right? It's a totally unpredictable situation for you!" They tilted their head, their smile stretching into their round cheeks. "It's a situation that someone as analytical as you can't predict, right? Even you don't know what will happen when two big, bad monsters get together and brawl."

Arle fired a lightning bolt at Ecolo's head, but the space-time traveler evaporated into a thick, black mist. When they reformed on Arle's left, she seethed, "Don't talk down to her like that. Say something like that again-"

"And you'll what? Banish me to some void? Trap me for a millennium in some tiny pocket of the multiverse?" A harsh peel of laughter split between their lips. "Oh, that's such a super duper easy-peasy lemon-squeezy place to escape from! I'm still really shocked you couldn't get outta your void for such a long time! Guess you aren't really as much of a god as you thought you were, huh?" They sighed. "Although, five hundred years isn't really a long time to someone like me."

Heat boiled in Arle's cheeks. She sucked down a sharp breath and felt her uneven fingernails carve into her calloused palm. She shot out for Ecolo's throat, but again, they vanished into black particles and reappeared on Ringo's side, earning a yelp from the younger girl. A swill of panic sweltered in Arle's chest as they rounded between her and Satan, wrapping their arms around their shoulders.

"And don't even get me started on this lunkhead right here! How dumb was he to not take you with the Arle I know into his little fantasy world? Seriously! You gotta be nearly blind to leave behind a perfectly good husk in a void!" Ecolo swirled their finger by their temple, and Ringo quickly jumped out of their reach. "Unless, old man, you're really colorblind! This Arle is reddish and purple, and the other Arle is blue! How do you not see that you left her behind? Was the void you found her in super dark or something?"

Satan swatted at Ecolo, their lips curling into a snarl, but as expected, they vanished. Their mist wafted in the wind before reforming in the center of the battlefield, appearing like a mischievous devil as they peered between the combatants. They crossed their legs and watched Arle gnash her molars together so tightly that they expected them to crack into shards. Stifling a yawn, they rose into the air and allowed Arle to bask in her fury, her entire body burning with five hundred years worth of wrath towards the deity who left her behind.

"I hate admitting this, but that freak has a point. There's no conceivable way that you wouldn't have realized that the new Arle wasn't at full power. You must've known that you left me behind all this time." Arle chuckled, low, hollow, and vindictive. "Yeah, isn't that right? Leaving that girl so powerless, it gave you all the strength you needed. She wouldn't be able to stand up to you like I would have if we were one person again."

"And again, you're completely off the mark." Satan waved his hand and dismissed her retort. He ignored her jaw tightening and sighed. "If you can't accept that it was an honest mistake, then I'll have no choice but to send you back there. I really can't have you ruining what I worked to create."

Arle tensed, and Ringo jumped in front of Satan, her head shaking. "H-hold on! What does that mean? I've spent almost an entire day with her, and she's been nothing but nice!" She paused. "Eh, for the most part. She did get all weird about immortality and stuff last night."

"H-hey! If you're going to defend me, then don't drag me down," Arle huffed, feeling her irritation spike when Ecolo spat out another laugh.

Satan towered over the young girl. With his expression blank, he observed Ringo return to her former confidence. She had always been like that, it seemed, even when her world was threatened by Ecolo on two occasions. Leaping to protect or accuse others had been in her nature. It was really no wonder why his Arle found a new friend in the clever, courageous girl. Standing up to gods was something both Arles and Ringo had in common. With some proper training in magic, perhaps even Ringo could achieve his level even though he personally doubted it the second it crossed his mind.

He peered over his shoulder, finding a two familiar outlines behind a tree. They ducked when he noticed them, and he sighed. Witnesses were fine as long as they stayed out of his way and allowed him to finish his job.

"Knowing her for one day doesn't matter, I'm afraid. You don't know the carnage she's capable of doing or the real magic she's been hiding," he said, and Arle snorted, her brow furrowing.

"Ah, that might be right." She raised her hands, fire burning in one and lightning sparking in the other. "It's unfortunate that my new friend will have to see this, but I'm sure she'll understand in the end."

Ringo whipped her head over her shoulder. "Hey, hey! I sure as heck don't-!"

A hand covered her mouth, and she was dragged back towards the brush, allowing Satan and Arle to resume their duel. She shook her head, chilliness piercing her chin and nose. Ecolo's laughter boomed in her ears, and she gasped as they released her, reappearing fully beside her.

"Ringo, Ringo, Ringo, you're such a silly girl." They flicked her nose, and she grimaced, squinting at the chuckling trickster. "Don't you know that adorable humans like yourself should stay on the sidelines and worship the gods like in the old days?"

"And don't you know that you're super annoying in every little thing you do?"

"Aw, a compliment! I'll add that to my online testimonials. You know, I've gotten into blogging recently. You should follow me!"

"Ecolo-!"

"I won't let you go with simple brainwashing this time!" Arle roared, thrusting her hands forward and unleashing the power she gathered.

Fire and lightning split the ground, unearthing chunks of soil and roots and shooting them in the air. The fresh scent of earth was stolen in the wind. Like cracking whips, the fiery and electrical beams shot out faster than Ringo could see, and her scream drowned in the dirt raining down on top of her and Ecolo.

Satan's wings snapped open as the beams rushed for him. He dashed for the sky, flipping in the air and spiraling for the ones hiding behind the tree. As the beams slashed through shrubbery and trees, Satan dove for them and snatched their arms, ascending into the air once more and tossing them towards Ringo. Ignoring her yelp as the bodies crashed into her, Satan watched Arle grimace and clap her hands together, her magic vanishing in an instant.

Charred trees toppled around them. Arle panted, her head already pounding from withdrawing her magic so suddenly. She gnawed on her lower lip as Ringo shouted the names of her friends and watched Maguro and Risukuma struggle to sit upright. In her blind rage, she hadn't even sensed them, and if her attack had struck them, they would have been incinerated. Her gaze quickly found the ground, and her heart trembled.

"Well, that smarts," Maguro grumbled, rubbing his head.

"Aw, why are you two here?" Ecolo whined, hunching forward. "I thought this was gonna be a fun date for me and Ringo."

"Can it already!" she spat, helping Risukuma to his feet.

The older student leaned against another tree and held his humming ears. "Well, we hurried back when we heard the commotion. It wasn't exactly quiet."

"We caught most of what you guys were talking about, but uh, hey! Thanks for the save, Dark Prince!" Maguro called, and smirking, Satan casually waved back.

"Now, what was it you were saying? You weren't going to let me off with brainwashing?" Satan asked, and Arle straightened, her expression plagued with distress.

"Acting like you don't care this early into the game? How like you!" Arle rushed forward, her fingers splayed out to the sides and thrust them forward. "Ice Storm!"

Satan had to roll his eyes as the sharp, jagged ice blades rushed for his head. It was such a basic spell, one he was certain that even the Suzuran children could learn in a day. Satan flew up to the sky, allowing the ice to pierce the ground where he once stood, skewering stones and dirt.

"Labyrinth!" She clapped her hands together in a tight prayer, a light purple magic circle appearing before her. It spread around her, encompassing her like fog and wafting around her wrists. The magic spiraled into thick bullets, each sharper than any blade, and she whipped them forward, roaring, "Grand Cross!"

In the blink of an eye, the magic bullets burst forward with incomparable speed. Ringo could hardly keep sight of a single one. All she could see was Satan's afterimage vanishing over and over again, his lips moving as if chanting. Arle grunted, waving her hands this way and that way, following him as he swerved gracefully through the onslaught of bullets, each of them more deadly than the last.

"Hey, uh, shouldn't we do something, Ringo?" Maguro asked, taking shelter behind Risukuma.

"What can we do is the real question," Risukuma gravely replied, and Maguro tightened his grip on his coat.

Ringo was silenced by the display as Arle lunged into the air as if she could soar with a swan's grace. With her fist clenched, dark red energy circled around her hand, and she punched the spot where Satan had so arrogantly hovered. She followed his afterimage, punching again and again, missing each time. He effortlessly dodged her, leaving behind a ghostly visage for Arle to scream at and punch into foggy particles.

"Eclipse!" she bellowed, thrusting her fist forward and unleashing a chaotic burst of crimson magic.

The beam rippled with twisting electricity as it stormed for the ground where Satan landed. It crackled and made even the very air hot, as if it could ignite and burn everyone into charred pieces. As Arle held her place in the air, Satan merely held up his hand.

In that moment, a startling realization crossed Ringo's mind.

Why can't there be two Arles? Why is Satan so insistent on her being a simple doppelganger?

Ringo's mind, always analytical, worked as Maguro and Risukuma shouted for Satan to move. Her expression tightened, thinking as hard as she could to comprehend the history Arle had told her last night. Ecolo chuckled above her head, and as if someone snapped their fingers by her ears, Ringo found herself at a crossroads. The conclusion of the battle seemed painfully clear, and yet, she couldn't move, the consequences of their duel dawning on her.

But that's so cruel. Their old world and their new world...it has to be!

"Figured it out, huh?" Ecolo sneered, resting their elbow on her head and their palm to their cheek.

She understood the severity of this match as Satan whispered a spell, one which raised a shield around his body and split the beam in half, sending it curving towards the forest and right to Ringo.

Her eyes widened, matching the same dismal shock shooting through Arle. Both girls caught eyes for a moment before Ringo's world became blinded in a bright red light. It was like she was gazing into a sunspot, the heat burning her vision and silencing the scream that was certainly crawling up her throat. She couldn't move, speak, or blink as the beam dashed towards her, filling her world, and she took a sharp breath when it struck, everything enveloping in darkness.

Explosions echoed in her ears. Trees burst into the sky and incinerated. Heavy smoke filled her nostrils, and her mind blurred, the voices of Maguro and Risukuma suddenly so distant. Her ears rang with the force of merciless gongs, beating over and over again, stripping Ringo of her precious thoughts.

Hands held her body, her friends' voices slowly reaching her. Her fingers meshed with dirt, and the griminess clung underneath her fingernails. She expected pain, but there was only numbness. Ringo blinked once, twice, thrice, and the world burned around her in brilliant shades of scarlet and gray, but those weren't natural colors.

"Ringo!" Maguro shouted, shaking her shoulders. "Hey, hey, Ringo!"

She shook her head, her mouth appearing like a tiny crease. She stared at Maguro for a moment, taking in his distress as the wind swept his bangs up, revealing his panicked, dilated pupils. Dragging her attention to Risukuma, she found part of his coat completely blown off, the ends singed, as he placed his hand to her brow.

"She's-she's responsive. That's good, that's very good," he whispered, relief flooding through him.

Ringo looked in front of her and knew what had saved her. She struggled to sit up, feeling as if her spine would snap with the slightest movement. Grimacing, she covered her mouth and coughed, her brow furrowing as she glowered at her savior.

Ecolo materialized once again, the mist coming together to form the space-time traveler. Their confident smirk was ever-present. Drool slipped over their round chin and landed in globs on the brown grass, but all eyes focused on the gaping hole where their heart should have been.

"Why did you take the blow for me?" Ringo whispered, her skin turning whiter than paper.

"Wh-what the-? How are they-how are they even standing?" Maguro gasped, sweat trickling down the sides of his face.

Ecolo laughed like a child receiving a treasured birthday present."Awww, Ringo! You do care! You're so sweet that it makes me wanna puke."

They pressed their hands over where their heart should have been. Closing their eyes, they traced the wound, and slowly, fog wafted in and out of the hole as it slowly knit itself back together. Without a thread or needle, Ecolo's wound simply closed up and left behind no trace of an injury.

Yet, what did remain was the fire surrounding them. The leaves, once rich in emerald hues, burned in ugly shades of orange, dooming the neighboring shrubberies to the same fate. Engulfed in flames, the battlefield was transformed into a twisted, hellish arena where heavy oak branches fell, dominating the former scent of honeysuckle with ghastly smoke.

Arle panted, her magic aura dwindling and forcing her back to the ground. She gazed at her trembling hands. She had been so close to killing them. If Ecolo hadn't reacted and took the blow for Ringo, then she's certain she'd be gazing wide-eyed at the bloodied corpse like the ones she had seen in Schezo's dungeon all those years ago.

"Are you satisfied?" Satan asked, drawing her attention to him. He narrowed his eyes. "Is this enough for you?"

"Wh-what? You-"

"It seems you're hellbent, aren't you? You'll go through any hoops and any lengths just to kill me, right?" Satan smoothed through his long hair. "It seems you haven't changed at all."

"Y-you bastard, you almost got them killed! Why did you shield? You could've easily fired off a countering spell to reflect my blast back at me!" Arle roared, shaking her head.

Satan looked at her with an expression that made her blood boil, red hot like the flames surrounding her. It was a painful look of pity, one that made her soul cry out in anguish for ancient times and friends never to be seen again. He glanced over to the bewildered humans and Ecolo, finding them humming and enjoying the show.

"I was going to offer you the chance to live in my world," he began, "as the doppelganger."

"No! No! I'm not a doppelganger! I am Arle Nadja!" She clenched her fists. "You did this to me when you separated me from her! You have no right to call me a doppelganger when we used to be one person!"

"I don't think you understand." Satan crossed his arms and sighed. "When I say you are welcomed as a doppelganger, I mean you have to be a doppelganger. My world will not accept two Arle Nadjas."

Ringo slowly drew to her feet with Maguro and Risukuma's help. Her thoughts spun and settled on her lone conclusion. Drawing a breath, she sucked down a breath, but Ecolo clapped their hand over her mouth.

"Not yet. We've finally reached the big revelation scene," they sneered, and leaning closer, they lowered their voice. "You can pay me back by letting Satan have all the glory in telling her, okay?"

"Telling her what?" Maguro asked, and Risukuma swatted Ecolo's hand off her mouth.

"I-it's-it's..." Ringo trailed off, her teeth gritting together, and even though Ecolo saved her, she shoved them aside. Hobbling forward, she shook her head and shouted, "That's enough! You don't have to hurt her this way."

Satan gazed at her, his eyes widening. "If I don't, then we'll simply be at this again sooner or later."

"Tell me what? What the hell are you two going on about?" Arle seethed.

"No! Both of you, just stop." Ringo coughed, the heavy smoke beginning to wear thin on her, and she heard sirens whispering in the distance. "There's no point to any of this-this-this...this madness! It's just illogical madness." She pointed at both of them. "Neither of you have to fight over this. We can just move on."

"'Move on?' 'Move on!' Are you out of your mind? I thought you were the smart one!" Arle barked out a shrill peel of laughter. Her lips twitched as they stretched into her cheeks. "I saved my world and lost everything and everyone I loved! Rulue, Schezo, Carbuncle! They're all gone! Dead!" She threw her head back and laughed, her fingers streaking through her scalp. "Now they're back in his world to be his playthings with a pathetic imitation of myself!" She threw her arms out and stormed towards Ringo, clutching the front of her vest. "And you think you can just waltz in here and stop us? You think just by asking nicely that I won't kill him? I have every right-!"

"Stop it! Just stop talking like that!" Ringo barked back, and she hacked, quickly dragged back by Maguro and Risukuma. Shaking her head as Maguro coughed into his fist, she rubbed her neck. "That's enough, Arle. It's over. It's not the past anymore. It's the present, and I..." She swallowed and glanced over to Satan. "...and I want to resolve this peacefully. Let's put this five hundred year grudge to rest and-"

"-and go back to normal? Okay." Arle smiled, her eyes suddenly vacant. "Then bring back Rulue and Minotauros. Bring back Schezo. Bring back Draco and Witch and Lala and all my friends from school. Bring back Carby. Bring back everyone I once knew." She giggled. "Then, and only then, will I forgive Satan and let it all go."

The rapid crackling of the fire echoed around them. Heavy branches continued falling, landing into the singed, black grass. Risukuma coughed, using his coat to cover his mouth. Sweat continued dripping off their faces, and the heat only rose, leaving Maguro queasy and forcing himself to ignore the temptation to vomit.

"You really are quite cruel. Is this the Creator's influence on you?" Satan asked. "You did battle him for so many years that perhaps he's rubbed off on you."

"Bastard! Don't you dare-!"

"Deviations in the world that I created will be punished, and that's not my law. That's simply the universal constant in any world. It's something that not even I can break free from." Satan lowered his voice. "In other words, my universe is structured to be the same. The same people have the same memories. Every detail is the same down to the tiniest bit of a person's past. I even made sure Schezo met Rune Lord and received his immortality that way."

Arle balked, her lips quirking upwards. "Wha-?"

"Wait, wait, stop!" Ringo shouted only to break off into another coughing fit, the gray smoke drawing closer.

"I made everything and everyone the same. Everything as you remember from the old world happened in my world because I made sure to replicate it all perfectly with the same people in the same manner." He gripped his hips. "They were all innocent victims of a cruel lord. I couldn't let them suffer such agonizing fates, so I made them new again with all the memories of the past. They just don't remember the cruel end they suffered and live day by day with everything as they once knew."

"H-hey-hey, hold on-"

"You don't mean-!" Maguro broke off, paling, and Risukuma closed his eyes.

"Satan! No That's enough!" Ringo cried.

"That's why, Arle Nadja is Arle Nadja. You are a doppelganger because the world dictates that to be your role." He sighed. "I didn't realize you two had split when I tried to rescue you. If I had, you wouldn't be in this situation as a remnant of the old world, as the doppelganger you are dictated by universal law. I'm sorry."

Then, the world that she knew, shattered into glass. Memories of friends splintered off and faded. The truth was a blade, and it pierced straight through her heart, skewing everything into tiny, tiny pieces.

They were husks, but they were filled with the memories of the past – the happy ones, the sad ones, all of them. Everyone was alive. They had the true Arle. Even if she didn't remember it, she also fought against the Creator. She battled with all of her might and lost everything only for it to be regained by Satan's crafting hand.

She thought Arle was the true doppelganger, but that was the farthest understanding from the truth.

She was the doppelganger. This whole time, through five hundred years of loneliness, she who carried the name Arle Nadja never had a right to it in the world she once protected. The universe already bequeathed that name back to the true heroine, leaving her behind in splintered fragments of a world that once was and as a vengeful being who had forgotten compassion.

She dropped to her knees, nameless and speechless. Tears welled up in her eyes. She felt Ringo, Risukuma, and Maguro fall with her, their hands holding her shoulders and backs, their voices asking if she was okay.

Everyone was already there with Arle. She was simply a doppelganger who tried to kill her and take her place despite everything Arle had endured. Like a selfish and mindless beast, she tried storming the castle to rip the princess off her throne, but as the universe dictated, she failed.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, her sobs suffocating her more than the smoke spiraling around them. With no tether to any reality, no reason to be alive, and no hope of reuniting with her loved ones, she silently cried, her face as blank as the jester mask she once wore.

"I can welcome you as a doppelganger," Satan quietly said, "to make up for my error but-"

"If we had stayed together," she whispered, "then I could've killed you so easily. I would've killed you again and again and again for making me go through all of this."

Satan didn't give her the benefit of an answer. He raised his gaze to Ecolo, their long stretch of silence too unnerving not to notice.

"Is this it?" Ecolo asked, and Satan bristled, forcing Ringo to look as well when she noticed him shiver.

For the first time since they had met, Ecolo scowled. Their forever present smile was replaced with a frown that dipped to their chin. Anger burned in their eyes hotter than the flames that threatened to devour them all.

"Don't you wanna try refuting him? Come on, come on, argue back! Fight back! You know there's something with what he's saying!" They grimaced as she continued gazing at the ground. "Don't you know that's garbage? It's worse than garbage Puyos! How do you know he's not lying? He could be lying!"

"Hold on. Didn't you say I reached the right conclusion?" Ringo retorted, glaring at them.

"Yes, I did. It's true that Satan made the world back the way it was with everything and everyone as is, but that doesn't mean you aren't Arle Nadja! You are not a doppelganger! There's also-!"

"The universe-" Satan coughed, the smoke finally beginning to choke him as the sirens blared far more closely. He noticed spotty red flashes through the scorched bark, signifying the oncoming fire trucks. "It's rather dangerous here."

"You don't say!" Maguro snapped, his annoyance boiling over. "We've been standing around listening to you guys argue about what's real and not while everything keeps burning around us!"

"Having an existential debate in the middle of all this is pretty extra," Ringo mumbled.

Ecolo glared at them. They really were a bunch of fools. They thought they could get some exciting magical battle with a satisfying happy ending, but it all ended up in tragedy. They even made sure to impress Ringo by dramatically taking the blow for her even when they didn't feel an inkling of pain.

This sad ending, it really pissed them off especially when they knew one certain fact: Satan was lying through his teeth about one certain part.

Well, they still had their ace up their metaphorical sleeve.

"Oh, I know what will make this fun again. Be right back," they said, breaking out a clownish grin, and before anyone could gasp, they vanished in a puff of dark mist.


	7. In-Between Lives

In-Between Lives

Amitie couldn't take her eyes off the witch. Her red and white dress, once assumed as fine and almost regal, was torn at the edges and dotted with dirt, grime, and stains. The fabric was thin, ready to tear at the seams with the slightest tug. Her long tresses of blonde hair were twisted at the ends and brushed against the splintered wooden floor. Amitie focused on the strangely rotted bows that adored her shoulders, but miraculously, the one sitting atop her head seemed to be in perfect condition.

Raffina concerned herself with the décor. Off-white skulls and dusty tomes littered the floor. Broken, gray animal skulls and femurs were shaped into chairs and shelves around the oak table. Water seeped in through the cracks in the corners of the room, which left Raffina raising her eyebrows. She was certain that she didn't see any sort of pond behind the shabby shack and knowing the forest, she only knew of a stream closer towards the entrance.

"Um, hello!" Amitie grinned and waved a bit too eagerly. "I'm Amitie, and this is Raffina."

"Charmed, I'm sure," she said, crossing her arms, her normally arrogant smile replaced with a scowl.

"Amitie and Raffina, what familiar names you two have," the witch whispered, resting her thin hand to her bony cheek. Sliding off the creaking table, she drew closer and inspected their faces. "You even look like them." She pinched her forefinger and thumb together with a tiny grin playing on her chapped lips. "Just a little, of course."

"Haven't you heard it's rude to impede on one's personal space?" Raffina snapped, taking an involuntary step back. Her hand knocked against the door. "And open this now. Locking in your guests is-"

"No. I won't be letting you go," the witch interjected, and Raffina bristled, her cheeks coloring to a vibrant red hue.

Shooting her finger at the witch's nose, she barked, "You can't keep us prisoners in your grotesque hut. People will come looking and-"

"No one has found this place in fifty years." The witch slapped Raffina's hand, a low chuckle rolling up from the back of her throat. "Do you think anyone would come find you when they can't even find me?"

Amitie shivered as Raffina clutched her hand, indignation burning in her eyes. She spared a glance at her trembling friend. A rare bead of sweat dribbled down from her temple to her chin, and Amitie watched it fall, the severity of their situation dawning on her.

"I haven't had girls my age as guests in so long." The witch smiled, giggling as if she hadn't struck Raffina. Spinning on her heels, she returned to the table and added, "Let me make some tea. Is herbal fine?"

"No! No, it most certainly is not!" Raffina shouted, stomping forward. "If you don't want a kick to your jaw, then you will let us go!" She cleared her throat. "If you please."

The witch blinked, her dull blue eyes taking in the girls before her. "Well, you're rude. I guess I'll only make tea for Amitie."

"Oh, uh, I'm good! Really, really good!" Amitie laughed and shook her head, the corners of her lips stretching into her cheeks.

Her mouth settled into a frown. The witch lowered her shoulders and threaded her fingers through her knotted locks. She peered into the adjacent room, which Amitie noticed had a few rusted pots scattered on the floor, but the shadows prevented her from seeing much else.

"You're our hostess, and a hostess must listen to her guests," Raffina remarked, eagerly piercing through the witch's resolve. She squared her shoulders. "Now, shall we sit down? I'd love to discuss certain topics with you if you've found your cool."

Amitie withheld her gasp. She flicked her attention between the neutral witch and smirking Raffina. Among her friends, only Raffina could be so poised and confident in front of a powerful sorceress. Not even Klug, with all of his arrogance, could touch someone like her, and Amitie found herself grinning at the slight edge Raffina had over the witch.

Snapping her fingers, the witch listened to the door click and Raffina's snickering, her song of victory. The witch stepped back to her table and pulled out two rickety chairs. She gestured for them to sit as she took her place at the opposite end. Waving her hand, a puff of golden sparkles surrounded her fingertips as she summoned a linen tablecloth out of thin air. As Amitie marveled and Raffina rolled her eyes, she splayed it perfectly over the rotted wood.

Raffina crossed her legs as she sat, and Amitie clutched the edge of her seat, grimacing from the pricking splinters that poked against her palms. Blowing on her hands, she rubbed them on her shorts and flashed a friendly smile at the witch.

"So," Raffina began before Amitie could begin chattering, "do you have a name?"

"We're all born with names. What a stupid question," the witch deadpanned, smirking as Raffina dug her fingers into her palms.

"For-for an esteemed witch, you're certainly lowbrow."

"Huh? 'Lowbrow?'" Amitie pointed at her eyebrows. "But her eyebrows seem kinda high on her head to me."

The witch and Raffina briefly looked at Amitie, their eyes wide before settling back into their glaring match. Realizing she had made a social faux pas, Amitie blushed. She rocked her legs under the table and peered around the room, hoping to come up with something new to say.

"Oh! Um, Miss Witch!" Amitie shot her hand into the air. "Are you really five hundred years old?"

The witch nodded. "Five hundred and it's definitely not less."

"Wow! How'd you live so long?"

She chuckled, a bitter dryness etched in her voice. "Immortality is a curse more than a blessing, and I'll be the first to tell you that."

The cheer quickly faded from Amitie's voice as she quietly replied, "Are you seriously immortal?"

"Why would you say that? If you're immortal, than you can remain young and beautiful forever" Raffina leaned forward, her lips creasing into a thin line. "Though, with hair like that, I suppose you really let yourself go."

The witch leaned back in her seat and stared at the ceiling. She watched a line of ants crawl through a gash in the rusted metal slats that she could pretend was a makeshift roof on a pleasant night. They trekked along in an even line marching off for duties unknown, and she sighed, closing her eyes.

"You girls, you definitely live normal lives. Learning magic, having fun, that's the life I once lived." She rubbed her neck. "In another world, that's the same life I had."

Gasping, Amitie cried, "Another world? We have-"

"If I can interrupt," Raffina grabbed Amitie's arm, "then I'd like to let the witch finish." She fixed her bangs, hiding her face with her arm and whispering, "Shush, will you?"

Amitie grumbled, crossing her arms and hunching forward. She had so many friends on other worlds with such easy access of reaching them. Certainly the witch would have liked to hear about that if she was lamenting her immortality and past.

Observing them for a moment, the witch fiddled with her torn sleeve. She smoothed down the creases and let her attention fall back to Amitie. "My world was a magical one. We lived and breathed magic. I went to school to learn healing and effect magic, and I had many lively friends." She gripped her chin and rested her elbow on the table. "One of my closest friends just happened to be the heroine of that world."

"I see. That does sound similar to our world," Raffina replied, her interest piqued.

"What did you do for fun?" Amitie asked, tilting her head.

"Oh, lots of things." The witch chuckled. "We'd practice spells and explore dungeons. We'd play pranks on each other or shopping or eat curry together." She sighed, a wistful cloud fogging her vision. "When I was very little, I'd even chase after my beloved."

Raffina tensed. From what she recalled from Tarutaru, her legend involved her crying out for her beloved. She would dash throughout villages and what would eventually Primp Town sobbing for the love she had lost, clawing on doors and leaving gashes behind. She straightened her back, noticing a blur mar the witch's eyes.

"He was...a hero. Just like that other girl, he was a hero in his own right." A wistful sigh slipped out of her. "I loved him when I was so young. We were all children, and when I fell in love, I fell hard. All I could focus on was him and him alone. Even my kindergarten teacher was worried that I was focusing too much on him." She chuckled, her head bowing and bangs covering her eyes. "Yes, I loved him so much. I loved him more than I could ever love anyone else, but he-"

Amitie's heart panged as the witch sucked down a sharp breath. If Ally heard such a miserable love story, she was certain she would cry on the spot.

"That's quite a tale," Raffina remarked, twirling a lock of pink hair, "but I have a question."

The witch grimaced. "What now?"

"You're five hundred years old. Have you been staying here this entire time?" She chuckled as the witch stiffly nodded. "Oh, what? Like Amitie says, 'get really real!'"

"Is there something funny about that? Is there something funny about mourning my losses? Can someone like you even fathom what I've lost?" The witch's voice trembled, and Amitie noticed her long nails carving into her palms.

"Uh, Raf, maybe you shouldn't antagonize her."

Raffina nudged away Amitie's hand from her shoulder. She stood up, leering down at the witch with a composed smile. She splayed her hands on the table and leaned forward. "You see, from what I'm hearing, this is pitiful."

The witch leaned back and flicked her chin up. "How so?"

"You're making a big mess out of yourself because you lost your Prince Charming. So, because of that..." She swept her hand out to the various bones scattered around them. "...you threw temper tantrums! You've obviously taken your anger out in such an unproductive way and think you're above everyone else. To that, I say you're not even that great of a witch." She jabbed her finger at the witch's nose, ignoring Amitie fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "You're just some big coward, aren't you?"

"Co...ward..." The witch sounded the word out. She said it under her breath and then echoed it louder.

Raffina neatly pushed in her seat. She snickered through closed, smirking lips. She ascertained the situation all too well. Before her was a simple monster, someone who chose to hurt others to distract herself from her own pain.

"While I'm sympathetic when it comes to searching for love, have you done anything worthwhile since arriving here?" She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Because it certainly looks like you haven't. What right do you have to act so strangely and harm others? Because you lost your loved one? That simply does not cut it."

The witch did not reply and lowered her head.

"I don't have time to deal with someone who tries to act mysterious only to end up as all talk. Sure, I'm looking for my prince, too, but I have other goals as well! I train and study every day. Someone who laments about love and does nothing about making herself better isn't worth my time." She drummed her fingers on her pouch and pivoted on her heels. "Come along, Amitie. We're done here."

"Diacute...diacute...diacute...diacute, diacute, diacute..."

Amitie swallowed, the spell all too familiar. She jerked her head over to the witch, watching her lips move and utter almost imperceptible words. She knew that spell was Arle's enforcing magic, one that greatly enhanced her next attack. Orange pulses surrounded the witch's hands, and as she slowly rose to her feet, Amitie gasped.

Rushing up to Raffina, she slammed her shoulder into her back. They yelped, knocking into the hard wood floor and scrapped their arms and hands. Amitie rubbed her jaw, but before Raffina could scream at her, it happened.

"EXPLOSION!"

Heat enveloped them and shot outwards, decimating the table. The single fireball burst into dozens, rocketing towards the walls and ignited them. The hut seared and burst, choking them with black smog. Raffina and Amitie huddled on the floor, the latter having barely put up a flimsy shield in time to send the crackling flares spiraling at the bones.

The witch levitated towards them, her hands balled into smoking fists. She glowered at the stupefied girls, her eyes no longer human. Each inch closer propelled the volley of flames that battered against Amitie's shield. As Amitie grunted and held out her hands, desperately hoping to keep her shield up, the witch giggled.

"Call me a coward, will you? Go on! Say it again! Say it again when you didn't listen! Say it again when I had no choice!" Her grin edged on inhuman with too many teeth showing.

"A-and what good would it have done? Didn't you say you weren't going to leave us alive?" Raffina spat out, hurrying to her knees behind Amitie. She noticed her friend grunting, a vein sprouting in her brow as she forced the shield to linger despite the fiery onslaught. "Amitie, Amitie, hold on for a bit. I'll handle her."

"R-Raffina, she's really strong," she whimpered, her arms pushed back by a particularly strong fireball. Coughing, she held her breath as the smoke wafted around them.

Clapping her hands together, the witch stopped the spell. She glanced at her abode, utterly decimated and burning. The smog rose beyond the trees and mingled with the sky. She knew trouble would come find her, but at the same time, all she could do was smile.

"I haven't had fun with magic students in so long. The last one who came here, she was a bit younger than you. Purple hair, glasses, she was a lot of fun." She sighed. "She was the only one who ever escaped me."

"And we will too!" Raffina proclaimed, shooting to her feet. She readied herself, keeping one fist in front of her face and one by her hips.

The witch hummed. Her pose reminded her of another fighter. Glancing down at Amitie who gasped as her shield released, she found the same passion of the heroine glowing in her eyes.

"It's like I thought. You two really are like them, but they're dead. They died long ago." She brushed her hair over her shoulders. "You know, you were right when you said I was a coward. I could've fought with them, but given the chance to escape, I took it without realizing what I was doing."

"Eh? What do you mean?" Amitie asked, taking Raffina's arm to help herself stand up.

"My world was destroyed just like you two will be. No trace. No memory. Nothing will be left of you just as nothing was left of my world."

She said it like she was commenting on the weather. Chills raced down their spines despite the flames scorching the earth around them. Silence pounded in their ears and raced with the blood rushing in their skulls.

As soon as Amitie exhaled a held breath, the witch bellowed, "Mind Blast!"

The witch summoned dizzying waves, but Raffina grabbed Amitie's hands and dashed away. As Amitie stumbled over her own feet, Raffina quickly stuffed her into shrubbery. Leaves coated their hair, but she wasn't bothered, too enraged to care for appearances.

"Raffina! What are you-?"

"I got us into this mess." She swallowed. "So, it's only right and proper of me to get us out. Besides..." She offered a weary smile. "...it'll mean I'm worthy of the Super Courageous Heroine title, right?"

She flinched, the bush's thorns sticking into her legs. Before she could help, her friend had already darted back out to confront the witch. Grunting, she tried pulling her legs out, but the thorns stubbornly clung to her socks and shorts. She tried gripping the vines that wove within the bush, but thorns pierced her palms and forced her to recoil.

"Leave Amitie out of this. I'm the one who upset you, not her. While I'm not sorry, it means I'll be your more than worthy opponent." Raffina cracked her knuckles and neck. "Are you prepared?"

The witch chuckled. "You even sound like her. Down the way you treat others, you really are like her. Do you have a monstrous servant, too?"

"Ha! I think you and Feli would get along greatly, but I'm not one for cryptic jargon if you please! Now, it's thrashing time!" Raffina ran at the witch, her fists gathering by her pouch. A spark raced through her, and she grunted, smashing her fist upwards. "Flamme!"

Her fiery punch missed as the witch sidestepped, but Raffina wasn't finished. She kicked the witch's afterimages, grimacing with each failed attack. Every punch, kick, and elbow met with a mirage. The witch simply ducked, dodged, and leaned away, but Raffina managed to strike at her nose, hitting the faintest bit of skin.

"There! Decharge!" Raffina cried, thrusting her palm at the witch's neck.

She struck her square on her jugular, and once the electrifying hit landed, she pounced. She delivered a kick to her shins, forcing the witch to buckle backwards. Beaming, Raffina felt the rush of victory course through her.

The witch merely blinked as she gazed at the sun, wondering if it was the same one her beloved had been under all those years ago.

With all of her magical power collecting in her right leg, Raffina swung and slammed it right into the witch's chin, roaring, "Ciel Arc!"

Her kick, infused with the power of the rainbow and the strength of a mighty warrior, sent the witch flying high into the sky. The smog that continued rising covered her ascension. Raffina watched as she was devoured by the smoke, satisfied with her pleasant smirk stretching into her cheek.

"Not worth the trouble," she sneered, dusting her hands together.

Amitie ripped herself free from the bush, stars illuminating in her eyes. "Raf! That was great! You were incredible! I can't believe you beat her!" She clutched Raffina's hands, swinging her classmate around in a circle.

"O~hohoho! Was there ever any-?"

She stopped herself. Amitie's eyes had gone painfully wide. She watched her pupils dilate until they were nothing more than pinpricks. Releasing Amitie's hands, she looked over her shoulder as if she was trapped in slow motion.

The witch raised two fingers and pressed them to Raffina's brow. With only a bruise forming on her chin, it was the one sign of damage done to her despite Raffina's volley of blows. Her eyes, sparking with wild madness, widened as she fired off a spell.

"Ongoku," she whispered, and it was over.

Pain speared through Raffina's mind. It was hotter than any flame she could summon from her pouch. She cried out, clutching her head and collapsing to her knees, but before she could fully acknowledge her suffering, her eyes clouded over.

Sleep tugged at her eyelids. She wanted to close them so terribly. It was as if she was suddenly resting on a comfortable pillow draped in the warmest blankets. The urge was too powerful, too mighty to resist as her body refused her begging mind to stay awake, to stay alive.

Raffina fell over and slackened. Her breathing grew shallow, and Amitie's voice sounded miles away. She could hardly register her hands shaking her limp shoulders. With her blinking, tired eyes, she made out swathes of yellow, red, and pink blocking out the sun.

"Raffina! Raffina! Stay with me! Open your eyes!" Amitie wailed, and Raffina uttered a weary yawn.

"Amitie...I'm sorry. I was too arrogant. I..." She trailed off, but she managed to lift her hand. She clutched her shoulder, feeling her thoughts fade into obscurity. "Run. Run away as fast as...you can...go..."

Her hand collapsed onto the firm earth. Her eyelids slid shut, and she felt like she was falling. No one heard her scream as she tumbled deeper and deeper into a never-ending abyss.

Amitie froze. She held Raffina's sleeping form in her arms. To the average person, she looked like a princess waiting for the kiss of her true love to wake her.

"She'll never wake up. As long as I live, she'll never come to again," the witch sneered, bending over and leering down at Amitie.

Trembling, she slowly set Raffina on the ground. She could still hear Raffina's insults and laughter ringing in her ears.

"That girl was the one who wasn't worth the trouble. Who did she think she was? Empowering herself with magic from a pouch. Even the one I knew trained harder than she ever could."

Amitie remembered Raffina waking up at the first hint of dawn to train. She exercised and practiced more than any of their classmates. Not even Tarutaru could lift as much as she could. Not even Klug studied all the answers compared to her. She had some of the highest marks in class, and it was all thanks to her dedication and discipline.

"What a weakling. My beloved would have beaten her instantaneously." She rolled her eyes. "To think I thought you two were like them. I was fooling myself."

Amitie's eyes snapped open. Her vision crossed, doubling Raffina's frail body. As the witch cackled, she focused her raw anger into her left hand, fresh and pained like an open wound, and shot for the witch.

"BAYOEN!"

The witch could only make out Amitie's fingers when it happened. She was blown backwards, smashing into a tree as the hail of flowers crushed her. Her senses quickly became warped, cluttered thoughts and stunned muscles filling her head and body. As her back slammed through the tree, she gasped as it came toppling down, summoning a shield to force the tree to land next to her.

The witch gasped, her body shaking with each breath. Footsteps encroached towards her. Flicking her gaze down, she let her mouth fall open.

"I won't let you talk about my friend like that," Amitie said, magic pulses flickering around her, and to the witch, she truly appeared like the heroine of her world. "Raffina was right. You can't treat people like that. You can't take your anger out on them like that! Just because you're sad doesn't mean you can mistreat others! Now, wake Raffina up!"

With a cry, Amitie threw herself at the witch...who smiled.

Classes were over for the day, and sitting alone at his desk, Tarutaru fretted. The empty seats in front of them left him sweating. He pressed his fingers together, his brow creased and lips pursed. His foot rapidly tapped against the floor as Lidelle and Klug passed him chatting about an upcoming joint project they were going to present to class tomorrow.

Amitie and Raffina hadn't returned. Even though he told them about the Witch of Nahe, he assumed they would have come back by now. No one had seen the witch in decades. Either she didn't exist or they got lost, but it was the explosion that roared in the distance that made the sweat roll down his cheeks much faster. Even though Ms. Accord reassured them the explosion was probably just a Puyo battle, his heart couldn't accept it.

"Tarutaru."

He yelped, his head flicking up so quickly that his hat almost fell off. Accord smiled at him, Popoi sitting on her shoulder with Sig standing by her side with a stack of papers. He fixed his cap, his cheeks thoroughly red as his teacher chuckled.

"M-Ms. Accord, sorry. I didn't see you there," he admitted, bowing his head.

"Well, yes. You were looking out the window for the rest of class," she teased, lightly pinching his pudgy cheek.

"Are you worried about that explosion?" Sig asked. "Is that why you keep looking out?"

Tarutaru fidgeted with his jacket. "Well, yeah. Uh, Ms. Accord, I gotta tell you something."

She tilted her head. "You can tell me anything. You seemed so distressed during class that I didn't want to ask you in front of everyone in case you were embarrassed."

He groaned and shot out of his seat. "It's Raffina and Amitie! I told them about the legend, and they haven't come back!"

"What legend? Actually, which one? Primp has a lot of legends," Sig replied, sitting the papers on the nearest desk.

"The Witch of Nahe, I told 'em about her."

Accord's smile faded. Her hands tensed by her waist.

"Oh, the Witch of Nyahe? What a meowsance she is," Popoi jeered, and Accord lightly batted his head with her thumb. "Nya-ow! Why'd you do that?"

"When I told them during break period, they went off to find her, and they haven't come back! That's why they've been gone for the rest of class!" Tarutaru felt as if his strength was zapped, and he collapsed back into his seat. "I'm worried. Raffina wanted to challenge her and took Amitie with her, but..."

"Are you saying they're in trouble?" Sig interjected, his demonic claw twitching.

"Tarutaru," Accord whispered and gently patted his shoulder, "it's okay. I'll find Amitie and Raffina." Straightening, she smiled at Sig. "I'll need someone to help me in case there's trouble, so, Sig, if you'll do the honors?"

"Sure thing." He gave her a thumbs-up.

"And also..."Accord snatched the papers and slapped them on Tarutaru's desk, earning a yelp in return. "...for your punishment of not paying attention, please file these away in my office. They're my lesson plans for next month, so make sure you order them by the dates, okay?"

Grimacing, Tarutaru accepted the papers. "Uh, yeah, but make sure they're okay...okay?"

"I will. Don't worry, Tarutaru. By tomorrow, everything will be normal again." Accord grinned and gestured for Sig to follow her out the classroom.

"Are we going out to that explosion?" he asked, quickly keeping up the pace when she took off in a sprint.

"Oh, yes. I have some...unfinished business with the witch, after all."

All Accord could do as she ran with Popoi clinging to her shoulder was hope she would make it in time before the girls suffered the fate she almost given.

So, I kept Raffina's original spells because I actually really like her saying her spells in French like how Lidelle says her spells in Italian. I think it adds more to her character, and while I like the English version of her spells, too, I just picked the French ones to give them some love. Also, thank you all for supporting this story! I know it's been a bit since updates for some chapters since I actually got really sick during all of April, and I've been accepted to various zines while writing this story, so all of that really took up my time, but thanks again for all of your comments and reviews! I really appreciate it!


	8. In-Between Justification

Amitie battles the Witch of Nahe. With Raffina hanging on by a thread, she knows it's a fight she can't afford to lose especially as Ms. Accord has unfinished business with the witch.

In-Between Justification

Amitie felt the sun beat down on her as she dashed forward. The sunlight filtered through the trees and battled the gray smoke rushing far beyond the forest. Embers crackled behind her from the worn, charred wood of the decimated hut. Her footsteps crushed through brittle tree branches and tore charred leaves apart, causing woodland critters to squeak as they darted deeper into the Woods of Nahe, the witch sneering down at her.

"Wake Raffina up!" she ordered, extending her finger to the sky.

"And how will you make me?" the witch asked, smacking her palms together.

Amitie lobbed a fireball at her, but a vibrant shield summoned by the witch repelled it back at her. She yelped, ducking as it surged towards her neck. The fireball barely avoided Raffina's body as it sailed into the rubbage of the hut. She grit down on her molars, watching the witch wave her hands, quiet enchantments slipping past her lips, knowing she was clearly outclassed by the prominence of a five-hundred-year-old terror.

"I thought you were going to make me wake her up. Aren't you going to fight back like she did? Aren't you going to use your wits?" The witch snickered to herself, the wind picking up around her. Amitie reeled back as she levitated, her feet pointed towards the ground, raising her arms high over her head. "If you aren't going to do anything, then I'll end it all now. There's no need to even worry. You'll sleep and sleep and sleep until you take your last breath, and finally, your nightmare will end!"

Her brow creased as the witch roared, shooting a blast of colorless magic at her faster than a lightning bolt. Amitie clutched her hat as she jumped through a pair of trees, the coarse bark nicking her elbows, but she shook her head as the blast speared deep through the earth's crust. She couldn't focus on any pain. She needed to save Raffina, and she quickly glanced at the spot where her dear friend slumbered, noticing her cheeks were losing their natural flush.

"If you're going to hide…" The witch vanished, causing Amitie to suck in a gasp through the spaces of her teeth. "...then this is going to be painfully easy."

Amitie swung her hand back, missing the witch's afterimage. The trees' shadows enclosed around the frantic girl, her head jerking around as she caught multiple mirages of the witch's snarling face. All of them came closer, forcing her to fire off windy spells just to push her back. She choked on her own breath, her heart feeling like it was racing a mile a minute only to stop beating as the witch appeared inches from her face and snatched her neck, raising her high into the air before slamming her back into a tree.

"Is this all you have?" she asked, her voice low, an air of disgust permeating around her. She tightened her grip, her sharp nails digging into her neck. "I thought you were like the heroine of my world. I thought your friend was like her rival." She scoffed, dragging the whimpering in-training magician to her knees and curved her other fingers into a claw, poised and ready to kill.

Amitie grimaced, grabbing the witch's wrist. She kicked at the ground, but she felt only air. She made out a sliver of sunlight glimmering down on her from a break in the thick leaves, illuminating the dust and smoke particles fluttering around them.

"Pathetic. I expected so much more." The witch sighed and aimed her pointer finger at Amitie's nose. "Rest assured. I'll remember this fight for the next hundred years."

"Why-why are you hurting people?" She coughed out her words, her grip slipping.

Amitie continued looking at the sunlight, which blinded her with each glance. As the witch hummed, seemingly amused with such an innocent question, she bided her time. She couldn't lay a finger on the witch. Not even Raffina could inflict anything more than a bruise to her chin, but the witch couldn't be invincible.

She thought back to Ms. Accord's lessons. Against a powerful opponent, the best option was something unexpected. Catching them off guard worked best, but the witch seemed to predict her every move. She had done so with Raffina. It was like she had mastered magic beyond her comprehension, but Ms. Accord's voice rang in her head.

"Everyone has their weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Think outside the box, and the answer will become as clear as day."

Her eyes widened. Amitie tried hiding the smile which made her lips twitch.

"Why? You're stupider than you look." The witch sniggered and shook her head as Amitie dropped her hands.

"A-am not." She swallowed, a few veins on her neck bulging, strained with effort. She cupped her hands, traces of sunlight dancing on her fingertips.

"You are! So was I! To think I thought you were like her. To think I thought your friend was like her! No one could ever compare to them." She wrinkled her nose, a fog crossing her vision, and she glared at the ground, feeling as if she could set the entire forest ablaze with her glower. "Not even I was-huh?"

By the time she realized what had happened, it was too late. Light grew in Amitie's palms, a shapeless substance which burned without any heat. It was as if a tiny sun materialized in her hands, and all the witch could do was recoil as Amitie launched it them.

"Luminescence!" she cried, the blinding light bursting into a plethora of vibrant fireworks.

The witch screamed, the magic searing her retinas. She clutched her face, scorched without any agony. She hobbled backwards, her legs awkwardly mashing into the ground. Hunching forward, she clawed at her face, her eyes feeling as if they were bubbling in her skull, Amitie's footsteps becoming lighter as she retreated.

She had never seen such a spell before. Not on her old world and certainly not on this one. It reminded her of the heroine's prized spell, one this girl could use as well. She couldn't comprehend why such a simple girl possessed such incredible power, magic poignant enough to rival the heroine who bravely stood up to the Creator.

As she snarled through gritted teeth, she thought, _Could this girl truly be…?_

Amitie put a solid distance between herself and the witch. She knew that spell would only blind her for a short time. Rolling her shoulders back, she held her fist out in front of her and closed her eyes.

"Accel, Accel, Accel," she whispered, magic fluttering down her arm and forming in her fist.

"My eyes! My eyes, you-you-! I'll make you have the worst nightmares! You'll see nothing but-nothing but death when I'm through with you!" The witch screamed, her free arm slashing at nothing, but Amitie refused to flinch.

The magic circle appeared in a soft hues of bubblegum pink. Runes in an ancient language protected her as they encompassed the spell. It stretched underneath her feet, protecting her in a brilliant glow. The witch couldn't take in her form anymore, her presence too heavenly for someone as wretched as her.

 _Like a goddess,_ the witch thought, managing to open one eye to take in the shadowy frame of the new heroine, _Amitie is like a goddess._

"Fairy Fair!" Amitie bellowed, throwing her hand up to the sky, and the sun blessed her.

The magic circle exploded in a holy light and shot upwards, bright blue flowers appearing out of thin air. All the witch could do was watch, her battered soul wondering if it could be cleansed with such pure magic. Amitie, her eyes still closed, directed the spell towards the witch, and without wondering if she should put up a shield, the witch accepted it, her thoughts blown back to the world she had been removed from, her heart forgetting to even beat as the battle finished.

Trees toppled as her body smashed through them. The forest shook, and the wind howled. Amitie's feet touched the ground, and she opened her eyes, greeting the decimation with a tired expression.

Silence welcomed her. Not a creature stirred. Not even the Onion Pixies dared to peak out. Only when the sunlight fell on her did the crickets chirp. She marched towards the blasted trees, her spell so deafening that it had knocked them all over and created a path for her.

Standing over the fallen witch, Amitie couldn't find the will to be pleased with her victory. She merely stared at her crumpled form. Her tattered dress was caught on tree branches and roots. Her bows were knocked off, the thin fabric threatening to rip further. Her long, gnarled nest of blonde hair splayed around her like a cast-off blanket, and in that moment, Amitie felt like crying.

"Miss Witch?" she called, blood pounding in her ears. She kneeled by her side and hesitantly reached out. "M-Miss Witch? Miss Witch, are you-?"

The witch's eyes shot open, full of an emotion so raw and painful that Amitie screamed. She jerked away and fell on her bottom. She softened when the witch's body slackened much like someone taking their last breath. Amitie crouched by her, gingerly thumbing the rim of her Puyo hat as the witch stared through her.

A hoarse cough pressed against her lips. She croaked, "Are you...are you…?"

She swallowed. "Am I...who?"

"Arle?"

Amitie gasped, but before she could speak, the witch reached for her, her fingers quivering. She looked at her face, the thin skin on her cheeks bringing out her cheekbones. Amitie clutched her hand and squeezed it, which in turn caused small tears to roll down the witch's face.

"Arle, Arle, it is you," she murmured, her chapped lips forming the most sincere smile Amitie had ever seen. "You were reborn, right? You and Rulue were reborn as these girls, right? Teacher said-remember when our teacher said that could happen sometimes?"

The witch sat up and drew her hands forward. Amazed, Amitie didn't reject her as the witch cupped her cheeks. She stroked them with bony thumbs. Leaning forward, she pressed her forehead against Amitie's, who could only gape, the gentleness of her touch reminding her of a cherub.

But such peace wasn't meant to last as Arle lost the battle in another world.

Darkness creeped over them, blocking out the sunlight. Amitie drew back, terror crawling up her spine like a centipede. She broke away, and the witch craned her head over her shoulder, the sight of two axes, one silver and the other gold, forming against the violet-tinted shadows.

"Hello, little witch haunting this forest," a cutthroat voice drawled, its shape towering over them with sharp edges and bright yellow eyes. The axes levitated at its side. "Tell me, did you lose something? Was it this silver axe? Maybe it was this gold axe?"

The witch jerked her hand to her chest. She stared through the beast, its shape familiar to Amitie, but with the pounding in her head, she couldn't place where she had seen it. Fidgeting with her Puyo hat, she watched the witch snarl, her back hunching as she bore her fangs.

"My beloved. My world." She dug her nails into the dirt and tore through tree roots. "Everything."

Amitie glanced between the witch and the monster, her eyes widening as memories flashed in her mind. She certainly had met this creature before. When she was out cane searching for her teacher, it was the demon who possessed it, bestowing it upon her after she proved her honesty and valor in a Puyo battle.

"Such honesty! Really, I'm trrrembling!" Popoi launched the axes into the ground, causing Amitie to yelp and crawl backwards, but the witch remained, her expression unclear. "With the lies you've told countless townies, did you really think you'd be rewarded?"

The witch flinched, and Amitie wished she could have seen her expression. She wondered if the color was draining from her face. All she could see was that every muscle in her body seemed to tense.

"For hurting these students, well…" Popoi shot towards the sky, a trail of sparkling stars following him as he zig-zagged around them faster than the speed of light, his movements causing Amitie's eyes to spin. "...I'll leave the discipline to the teacher!"

The witch hobbled to her feet, her frame shaking as she bellowed, "You-! Come back-ah!"

Amitie wondered what made her freeze. A shiver ran up her spine as well, the very air changing from a dull humid haze to a chill in a matter of seconds. Amitie peered around the witch, her eyes wide as she watched a woman saunter down the decimated path, tapping her cane in her free hand.

Ms. Accord strode over to them. The quiet clacking of her heels silenced the chittering Onion Pixies who braved the animosity surrounding her in a dull, palpable aura. She fixed her glasses as she walked, her mouth a thin line, her expression holding no trace of emotion.

Amitie didn't think twice when she raced over to her. The tears she had been withholding dribbled down her cheeks, and a cry ripped free from the back of her throat. She threw her arms around her, burying her face into the crook of her neck, and she blubbered as Accord rubbed small, soothing circles into her back.

She couldn't speak. Nothing she said would have made any sense. If she wanted to explain what had happened, her heart squeezed, Raffina's motionless body tearing through her thoughts.

"Amitie," Accord whispered and pulled back, resting her hands on her shoulders, "are you okay?"

"No! No, no, no, it's not me!" She shook her head so swiftly that her neck cracked. "Raf! You gotta get to Raffina! She's-! The witch, she-!"

In that instant, Popoi, in his cuddly form, plopped onto Accord's shoulder from the sky, his brows knitted. "Not good. We're losing her. Sig is-"

"Sig's here?" Amitie cried, and she shot a glance back at the still witch.

"She will not harm him." Accord placed Popoi onto Amitie's shoulder. "Please go to Sig. He's with Raffina, yes?" At Popoi's nod, she sighed. "Thank goodness we aren't too late."

Amitie steepled her fingers. "H-hey, Ms. Accord, we-we, um, the witch-"

The grimace in her teacher's face caused her to trail off. Amitie slowly turned around and fidgeted with her collar. The witch hadn't moved from her spot. All traces of sincerity had vanished when she leered at Accord, her hands balling into fists, which Amitie noticed was mimicked by Accord.

"Tell me, Amitie, do you know the spell 'Resurrectia?'" Accord asked, and the witch made no attempt to stop them.

"Uh, gee, I don't think so?" She wished she didn't sound so questioning, but the kind smile Accord cast her made her worries melt.

"Follow Popoi's lead. You'll see what happens."

She patted Amitie's shoulder and brushed past her. Popoi pointed ahead and ordered her to go. Before she could react, Accord vanished in the blink of an eye, and in the back of her mind, Amitie wished people would stop doing that.

The witch lurched backwards as a gust of wind bellowed from the north. She snarled, her head still aching from Amitie's fiery spell. She knew her strength was sapped, and all she could do was watch while Amitie hurried over to whoever this "Sig" was. The temptation to cut her off tickled her fancy, but Accord appeared inches in from her nose, her smile stretching into her cheeks.

A shrill shriek ripped out of her as Accord tutted, saying, "Now, now, let's not react like that. We have unfinished business."

The witch jumped, casting a windy spell to launch her high into the air. She didn't have time for this. She needed Amitie. If what had happened implied what she thought-!

Accord didn't give her the chance, vanishing and appearing in front of her again. Before she could yell, Accord flicked her hand, launching chalk dust from her sleeve at her. The witch pinched her nostrils shut, withholding the urge to sneeze, but again, as if to mock her, Accord vanished with a snap of her fingers.

She rubbed her face free of the dusty residue and landed on her knees. Heaving out a gasp, she whipped her head around and found Accord beaming down at her. Before she could launch a spell, Accord jerked forward, her hands shooting for her face, and she gasped, feeling as if she couldn't breathe.

Yet, what she expected to happen...simply didn't.

She blinked. She had forgotten such a pleasant sensation. The warmth of another person, the gentleness of arms wreathing around her waist and bringing her into an embrace, it had been hundreds of years since she felt such softness.

Accord embraced her and stroked through her matted hair. She shuddered, memories of her kindergarten teacher bursting in her mind. They shared the same smile and touch, the same encouragement and teasing, it was all as she remembered.

"Teacher?" she crooned, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Not your teacher, but I could be if you'd let me," Accord said, standing tall over the shuddering witch. "Do you remember when we met all those years ago?"

She lost count of the years, but she knew very well what she met. It must have been well over a decade ago. A little girl with curly purple hair in a white dress and blue overcoat skipped to the witch's hut with that same cat perched on her shoulder. She never opened her eyes and sipped the herbal tea the witch provided, delighted with the scent of rose and a hint of mint. They chatted for a while about magic and school, about the girl's dream to teach at the magic school in her town. Such a pure, beautiful dream touched her, and she had no choice but to let her go.

She saw herself in that little girl just as she saw the heroine in Amitie.

"How could I forget you? I couldn't," the witch whispered, tears blinking off her long lashes.

"Well, I think as a grown-up…" She parted, a serious edge to her expression. "...you have to take responsibility for your actions, yes?"

The witch gazed at her feet and took in the holes in her once pristine boots.

She maintained her composure as Amitie cried out not too far away. "Because you were hurt, you chose to hurt others. Isn't that what you told me?"

She paused and then nodded, her sobs becoming more shaky.

"I know you've suffered. Your loved ones, your world, destroyed just as you told me all those years ago." Accord tilted her head. "Although, if I recall correctly, Popoi and I welcomed you to live in Primp. We could've been classmates at the magic school."

Heat burned in her cheeks. Memories of an old world with old friends tortured her mind.

"Yes, yes, I did, but I understand why you couldn't accept my offer back then." She bobbed her head up and down and set her finger to her cheek. "You were still mourning your beloved Camus."

Her heart squeezed, and she buried her face in her hands. All of the emotions she suppressed for years and took out on innocent villagers burst like a dam, overflowing and drowning her. The mere mention of his name ignited a horror she wished had never happened, of fires scorching the land, of earthquakes ripping through the crust of her world, of endless hurricanes and death throes.

And away from that madness as the heroine fought and their friends bled, the coward who would become the rumored Witch of Nahe escaped with the help of an outsider.

"Sig!" Amitie wailed, rushing over to him as he knelt by Raffina's body, his expression twisting in worry.

"She's cold," he flatly said, but how he grinded his molars told her how little time they had left.

"M-Ms. Accord said a spell would save her! Um, um, it was-"

"Resurrectia, meow," Popoi replied, earning a yelp in return. "What? Need a helping paw?"

"You can talk? But aren't you a puppet? I mean, uh-"

"This isn't the time or place," he retorted, and Amitie yiped, bobbing her head. "Meow, the spell is a tough one. Two kids-in-training maaay be able to do it, but you gotta follow my words down to the letter, nya?"

Amitie snatched Sig's claw and held it tightly, flashing a bright smile at Popoi. "You bet'cha! We'll do whatever you say!"

"Whoo," Sig added, his inflection as enthusiastic as always.

"Stretch your hands out over Raffina's body." Popoi's tail flicked at the still girl's chest. "Right over her heart should do it."

Amitie and Sig nodded, their fingertips touching as they stretched their hands over Raffina's heart.

"This spell uses a looot of magic." He noticed Amitie stiffen. "So, Sig, we'll be relying on you, got it?"

"Haven't used much of it, so…" He nodded.

"This spell is used on someone close to dying," he added only to sigh, "and stop being so tense, kiddo! She'll wake up if you do this right."

Amitie winced. "Y-yeah! I got it."

"Focus on waking her up. Put all of your magic and spirit and efforts towards it." Popoi sniffed the air, glancing from side to side.

"Somethin' wrong?" Sig wondered.

"No, no, don't worry. Just start."

With such poor instructions, Amitie and Sig exchanged a bewildered glance and knew they didn't have time to mope or complain. Raffina's life was on the line. The slow rise and fall of her chest made them shiver, and lacing their fingers together, they closed their eyes. They concentrated as hard as they could, imagining new life being breathed into Raffina, her bright eyes opening and staring up at them, a cocky, yet proper smirk settling on her face.

Magic swelled in their palms and grew larger, the orb hinted with violet swathes of electricity. They imagined it going inside of Raffina, spreading throughout her body and waking her from whatever nightmare haunted her. They imagined themselves reaching forward in the darkness and taking her hands, wrenching her from the shadows and into their arms, embracing as tightly as they could.

Amitie uttered a wordless cry, pain seizing her neck. She felt as if her head was no longer attached to her shoulders, the witch's grip having bruised it so severely that she felt like it would break. She tried withholding it, but the tears started dripping down her face, alerting Sig to her pain, but Popoi shouted for them to keep going, that the spell was almost complete.

"Now! That's enough! You-!"

But Popoi didn't have the chance to finish his order as stars and constellations burst around them. Amitie jerked her head up, blind to the nebulas and suns which glowed around them. She couldn't give up even as the brightness burned her retinas, and as Sig's claw grazed her palm, they shoved the orb at Raffina.

"Resurrectia!"

Their voices entwined in the depths of space, gravity betraying them. Everyone's vision went pure, snowy white. Only a cackle echoed around them, alien and mischievous. As Amitie felt like falling victim to unconsciousness, she heard someone's voice scream out.

"It's you!"

Guess who got sick again and then decided to do an entire ficlet request series between updates! Anyway, thank you all for sticking around! We're at the endgame!


End file.
